she's the breath in my lungs
by calliopesarizona
Summary: Calzona High school A/U. Arizona is the captain of the softball team, Callie likes to stick to her studies. Arizona is in need of a tutor, and Callie just so happens to be available. Rated M for future smut.
1. Chapter 1: number fifteen

Callie was ambitious, she had goals and a future ahead of her, so many dreams and plans. She was an excellent student, excelling in her courses, a member of the National Honors Society, and part of many tutoring committees.

But, although she was outstanding, she was also quiet; Calliope Torres kept to herself, as she had most of her life. She was never one to draw unwanted attention, and she tended to stay away from those who held any potential to ridicule her. She had enough of that for a lifetime.

During the school day Callie would go to her classes and be the outstanding student she was, answering questions and finishing her work. She would eat her lunch at her table in the corner of the cafeteria during break, then presume to study. It was a solid schedule, one that Callie had down to a T.

Everyday when the final bell rung, the brunette would wander out to the softball field; it was secluded and quiet, a perfect place to get her homework done. She didn't have to worry about being bothered there, it was peaceful under the mighty oak she sat by.

If she stayed long enough, the softball team would come out for practice, not paying enough attention to see her sitting nearby. Callie wasn't one for sports but she did enjoy a good game of baseball, so she found herself often getting distracted by the batters and pitchers.

There was one pitcher individual that seemed to catch her eye, number 15. From where she was seated Callie could only ever see her back, and when she was faced the other way her features were too far away to distinguish.

Callie had come to admire the girl as of late, her throws were always perfect, her arms flexing as she threw the ball. Her golden locks were never not pulled into a high ponytail and tucked under a baseball cap. On the rare occasion, Callie couldn't help but ogle her ass, which was either hidden beneath tight pants or very short shorts.

On that day in particular Callie had more chemistry homework than normal, so she wasn't able to focus on the game as much. She knew that if she got sidetracked her work would just need to be finished at home.

Callie's pencil scratched against paper, as her chestnut eyes scanned quickly through her text, the faint sound of a bat hitting a ball striking in the background.

Her concentration was broken when she heard a thump, and Callie looked up to see a bright green ball rolling to a stop at her feet. _Damn_ , was the first thought to come to her mind, _that was a good hit_.

The brunette looked at the ball for a few more seconds before returning to her reading, her eyes not catching the girl beginning to walk towards her.

When the player got close enough she shouted, "Hey, you wanna toss me that?"

Callie's head snapped up. She would know that voice anywhere. She heard it everyday as she walked through the halls. Always chatting animatedly to someone, or giggling at some unfunny joke. The voice was too sweet not to recognize.

When the girl in question came to a stop before Callie, she felt herself blanch, her eyes darting from the number 15 on the girl's jersey to the face it belonged to.

"Earth to Callie?" Arizona grinned crookedly, causing butterflies to swarm in Callie's stomach. Her smile was so breathtaking that the brunette felt as if she had been paralyzed. How could she not have known that number 15 was Arizona Robbins?

"Calliope?" The way her given name sounded rolling off of Arizona's tongue was what caused Callie to snap out of her trance, her pencil falling out of her grip to the ground.

"You know my name?" She asked meekly, kicking herself at the ridiculous response. She sounded like an idiot, and of course in front of Arizona Robbins of all people.

"Of course, we have chem together," Arizona said gently, obviously sensing the tension coming from Callie. She tried to catch the girl's warm eyes, but Callie seemed ardent on avoiding all eye contact, "Well, I need to get back before the coach yells at me, can you toss me that ball?"

Callie glanced briefly upward, remembering why Arizona even came over in the first place, "O-oh, yeah, sorry," She stuttered, quickly throwing the ball to the blonde.

"Nice throw. It was nice talking to you Calliope, I'll see you around," Arizona said, before turning on her heel and walking away, leaving Callie speechless behind her.

* * *

Arizona Robbins has always been comfortable in her own skin, she had known from a young age that she was gay, and was always open about it. Everyone around school knew she was a lesbian, and everyone knew she was a player.

She had a reputation of sleeping with almost the whole cheerleading squad, and more than half of the softball team; not to mention, the theatre girls as well. She was sort of a legend and owned up to it.

She never really had relationships, she had "things" with multiple girls at a time, or hooked up with girls at parties. She had broken more than a few hearts, but she'd almost grown cold to it, accepting the fact that relationships just weren't for her.

However, for some reason when she saw Calliope Torres doing her homework by the softball field, something in her changed. Her heart began to skip a beat and butterflies formed at the bottom of her stomach. Every cliche thing you can think of, she felt around this girl.

* * *

A few days had passed by and Arizona was still thinking about her encounter with Callie. She couldn't explain the draw she developed towards the girl. They had never spoken to one another before yesterday, but Arizona was immediately intrigued by her shy and quiet demeanor.

As Arizona walked into her chemistry class she spotted Callie sitting in the front of the class, her nose buried in an anatomy book. The smile that was always etched onto her face grew a little bit bigger. She saw Callie look up at her, her eyes widening when she noticed Arizona gazing at her. Arizona attempted to give Callie a small wave, but she was already looking back down, her body sinking as low as it could into her chair.

The blonde wondered why Callie was always so shy, but brushed the thought away when the bell rung. Instead she found her seat.

The teacher began going around handing back their latest test, and worry formed at the pit of the blonde's stomach.

She looked over at the tall brunette, sitting in the front row of the classroom. The blonde thought the other would get a good grade, like she always did. Sure enough, when Callie was handed the test, the teacher was smiling widely, and patting her on the shoulder, obviously congratulating her on a job well done.

Arizona was, yet again, getting handed another failing grade on a chem test. The teacher gave her a stern look and shook her head, then went on to tell Arizona to meet with her after class.

Arizona was visibly nervous the whole period, shaking her leg and tapping her fingers. She was continually looking at the clock, hoping and praying that the class was almost over.

After what felt like hours, the bell rang and she got up from her seat, and went to the front of the room where the teacher was sitting.

She could tell by the look on her teacher's face, that she was in trouble and the news she was about to hear wasn't good.

"Arizona, I'm sorry to tell you this but one more test that you get a C or lower on, you will be kicked off the softball team," The blonde was shocked, her mouth open, unsure of what to say.

She spoke up, her voice, cracking, "What? That can't be, I've only failed a few tests."

Her legs began to shake again, she looked all around the room, desperately trying to keep herself calm.

"You've failed enough tests, to where you now have a D in my class. The semester will be over in a few weeks, you need to be getting at least a B on my exams in order to pass," Mrs. Rodgers explained, her eyes darting to the back of the class, "Callie, could you come up here?"

Arizona was suddenly confused as to why Callie was called over, but also couldn't ignore the excitement that came along with hearing the other girl's name being spoken.

"Callie, is a part of the tutoring committee and I thought she might be a perfect candidate to help you get your grades up," Mrs. Rodgers nodded to her reassuringly, hoping the blonde would take advantage of the idea.

"A tutor? I don't really have any extra time with practice," Arizona protested, trying not to sound rude at rejecting Callie's help. The brunette in question just looked down at the ground, wishing the ground would just swallow her whole at being brushoffed by her crush.

"You'll need to make time if you want to pass my class, Ms. Robbins."

Arizona winced, feeling like she was at an impasse; she could either take the offered aid and make her busy nights even more hectic, or risk failing and getting kicked off of the softball team.

"Arizona, Callie is an exceptional student that can no doubt help you bring up your grade. Please, think about it."

Before either could say anymore, the bell rang, and Arizona was already making a break for the door.

A small voice spoke out just as Arizona was almost no longer in sight.

"Hey...I can help you anytime, it's no problem," Callie was surprised in herself, not quite sure where that burst of courage came from.

The blonde turned around to see the taller girl tapping her fingers against her notebook, unsure of what to say or do next.

Arizona paused for moment, weighing the pros and cons of her choices, her brows furrowing. Her coach would kill her if she had to leave the team...and she didn't want to have to quit.

The blonde smiled slightly, setting her shoulders straight with determination, "Okay, Calliope, meet me in the library after school."

Callie opened her mouth to say more, but before she could Arizona was out the door and out of earshot, smiling contentedly as she walked to lunch.


	2. Chapter 2: i think you'll know

The day seemed to drag on for Callie after that; she could barely concentrate on any of her school work, as was unable to get the thought of Arizona out of her head. Fifth period seemed to take the longest, dragging on and on, and when the bell finally rang the brunette was the first out the door.

Callie went directly to the library, looking around to see if she could find Arizona. Not much to her surprise, since she got there so quickly, the other girl hadn't arrived yet. So Callie took a seat to the far left, in a secluded area of the library that was still visible from the entranceway.

Callie decided to do her homework while waiting, and not even five minutes later a blonde came bouncing through the doors of the library, rushing over to Callie's table as soon as she spotted her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, I was talking to some of the softball girls and I lost track of time," Arizona huffed as she plopped down, noticeably out of breath, obviously having run there from where she was chatting with her friends.

"Oh, it's okay," Callie replied, tapping her pencil against the table from nerves, "we should, uh, probably get started."

Callie's stomach was doing flips and her face felt hot. She hoped to God that she wasn't blushing because it sure felt like she was. Why was it so hot in there?

Arizona smiled at her, obviously noticing her anxiety, flashing her adorable dimples in a way that almost had Callie on the floor. Her abdomen erupted in butterflies and she felt just a tiniest bit nauseated; Callie didn't realize she stopped breathing until she felt slightly woozy, her brain was surely shortcurrcuting. Wow, she was truly too gay to function.

Callie sucked in a big breath and said a silent prayer; _God, please help me get through the next hour._

* * *

30 minutes later found Callie deep into an explanation on how double replacement worked and Arizona struggling to concentrate on anything she was saying.

She knew Callie was really trying to help her, but she couldn't help but get lost in the other girl's mesmerizing brown eyes. They were like pools of dark chocolate; neverending, infinite. Arizona couldn't tear her gaze away from the beauty of them.

 _Great_ , she thought, _you're absolutely whipped, Robbins. Ever since you saw her last practice, you've been absolutely fucking_ _ **whipped**_ _._

In the middle of Callie explaining a formula, that for the life of her Arizona could not grasp, a wisp of soft, delicate hair fell in her face, grazing those perfectly flushed cheeks. The blonde used all of her willpower not to reach out and tuck that beautiful, wavy hair back behind Calliope's ear. The urge was so great that Arizona forced herself to begin tapping her fingers against the wooden table as a distraction.

Arizona couldn't understand what about Calliope had her so intrigued and tempted. No doubt she was beautiful and kind, not to mention brilliant, but the blonde barely knew her. They had only ever spoken briefly that one time, but it seemed that was enough to have Arizona chasing after Callie like a dog after a bone. And _damn_ , Calliope was one fine bone.

The temptation the blonde felt soon became too great and she couldn't stop herself from reaching for the other girl. Arizona brushed the stray lock behind Callie's ear, fingertips brushing against the other girl's soft cheek - trailing up and tucking the hair just so.

"Sorry," Arizona smiled gently, blushing herself and flashing her dimples yet again. She knew that they worked like a charm.

The blonde noticed the obvious flush that darkened on Callie's cheeks and chest, and she bit her lip to stifle a grin, knowing she was having an effect on the brunette.

Arizona found it adorably endearing how bashful Callie would get around her, and she couldn't help but want to see it more. She never wanted to stop making Calliope blush like that.

"Oh, uh, thank you," Callie whispered, looked down in embarrassment, trying to hide the excitement she felt at Arizona doing something that seemed so intimate. It felt like dozens of killer bees were roaring in her stomach, the sensation was as terrifying as it was addicting.

Arizona rested her head on her hand, once again drowning in the brunette's eyes, no longer even trying to act like she was listening to a single scientific thing Callie was explaining. She was much too distracted by those beautiful puddles of brown that seemed to pull her in. Her eyes... _Jesus_ , Arizona could stare at them all day.

"You know, Calliope," The blonde found herself mumbling, "you have really pretty eyes," The blonde tilted her head to the side and began to bat her eyelashes, the action almost a natural reflex.

Callie choked on the air in her throat, coughing lightly, somehow managing to speak, "You think so?"

She asked this sincerely, actually wondering if Arizona was speaking the truth or just trying to get into her pants (she did have quite the track record)

...The blonde's tone did sound genuine though.

For the first time that day, Callie took the chance and looked up into Arizona's eyes, once again losing her breath but this time because she was struck with how truly gorgeous the blonde was. All fair skin and cerulean eyes, billows of blonde curls framing her face. _And those goddamn dimples_.

The blonde nodded her head, subtly shifting closer to Callie, not breaking the eye contact they had. They both were lost in each other's eyes, not sure what to say or do, but also content with staying there for a little while longer.

The sound of a student slamming their textbooks down snapped Callie out of her daze, sitting upright and successfully breaking the moment the two girls were sharing.

"I, uh, I think we should get back to work, I have to go home pretty soon," Callie stuttered, shaking hands smoothing down the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt. And with that, the earlier atmosphere returned and Callie went back to teaching, turning a few pages to a new place in her chemistry book.

Arizona sighed in thinly veiled disappointment, deciding that Callie was right anyway. She needed to focus if she wanted to pass chemistry.

* * *

So far the school day went as it normally would for Callie, but she couldn't help feel a newly found excitement for chemistry; and it might be because that's where she would see Arizona.

Callie couldn't understand why she was even allowing herself develop a crush on Arizona (if that's what she could even call it.) The blonde was - no offense - a fuckgirl, and _popular_ , so why would she ever consider dating someone like Callie? Especially when she could have any girl in the entire school.

Walking into Mrs. Rodger's classroom, the brunette glanced around, trying to spot Arizona. She saw her near the back of the room, talking with some other girls from the softball team.

Coincidentally, Arizona happened to glance up at that moment and caught Callie looking at her.

The brunette became flustered at being seen, her feet starting to move her to her desk, but Arizona was already walking towards her.

"Calliope, hi," She grinned, her natural beauty causing Callie to physically freeze for a second, her brain shutting down and rebooting.

"Hey?"

"I meet you in the library today because I have practice right after school, but can we meet tomorrow?" Arizona did that little head-tilt thing that rendered Callie speechless, her heart palpitating like crazy.

"Yeah, that's fine," Callie deadpanned, surprised that Arizona was talking to her in front her friends. _Popular_ friends.

"Super!" The blonde said, placing a delicate yet strong hand on Callie's bicep, her fingers dragging down the length of the brunette's arm as she walked away, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Callie stood there shell shocked, until the bell ringing made her snap out of it and rush to her seat.

* * *

The whole period Callie couldn't get over the feeling of someone watching her, but she was too nervous to turn around and check. Instead she focused on the lesson, the sensation still lingering in the back of her mind.

Soon, the nagging became too great and Callie chanced a look behind her. She was shocked to see two crisp, blue eyes staring right back. Arizona gave her a tiny grin, glancing away shyly, in an attempt to act like she wasn't just caught.

Callie's brow furrowed as she faced forward once again, her mind racing a mile a minute. Was Arizona flirting with her? Not verbally, but with longing glances and little smiles? She couldn't piece together any other reason why Arizona would be acting like this.

The brunette felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up again, and she looked at Arizona once more, finding her looking right back. Though, this time Arizona didn't look away, instead she raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, as if asking 'what?'.

Callie again quickly faced ahead, vowing to herself not to look back at the blonde that period. Not until she figured out what the hell was going on between them.

* * *

Finally, one day had passed and Arizona was once again sitting in the library with Callie, and, just like last time, with each second that went by it got harder to concentrate on anything the other girl was saying. The blonde started to lean her head to the left, her chin resting in her hand, as she looked deeply into Callie's averted eyes.

She knew it drove the brunette crazy, and she couldn't help the smirk that began to form on her face when Callie stopped what she was saying and smiled at the table. She had obviously noticed Arizona's unabashed gazing.

Callie's smile fell, and she suddenly looked conflicted, like she was debating on whether to ask something or not.

"What's wrong?" Arizona asked, shifting closer, trying to convey that the taller girl could say what she was thinking.

"I'm-, I just, I don't know if I've been imagining things maybe, but have you been, uh, flirting with me?"

The blonde let out a laugh, relieved that Callie was picking up on her advances. Flirting was something she had mastered at this point but she felt insecure about her wooing skills around Callie.

Calliope was unlike other girls Arizona had met, she was reserved and quiet, but she was such a magnificent person. Arizona was one hundred percent interested in getting to know her better and perhaps.. _dating_ her? It wasn't something she normally did, but Calliope was one of a kind.

When she saw how Callie looked slightly rejected at her reaction, Arizona grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together; taken aback by how soft yet strong the brunette's hand was.

Opening her mouth to reply, Arizona murmured, "I am Calliope, I mean you're beautiful."

The blonde girl had a gentle smirk on her face, making Callie blush to an extreme she didn't know existed. When the brunette didn't respond, Arizona decided to continue with her flirting, hoping Callie would get the hint that she was interested.

"You should know that I know things about you...because people talk," The blonde started, smiled after saying this, flashing her dimples. Callie practically melted at how adorable they were, they gave Arizona such an aura of innocence.

"Oh...you heard about Erica?" Callie questioned, recoiling into herself - looking down ashamedly at her lap. It surprised Callie that her "fling" with Erica Hahn had spread all the way to the popular kids. She didn't know that so many people were actually concerned with her personal life. She guessed that it just served to feed the school gossip.

"People really like you here, they're concerned and _interested_ ," Arizona drew out the word interested hoping that Callie would catch on that when she said 'they' she actually meant herself.

The blonde decided to keep speaking, seeing that Callie was looking back into her eyes, and taking in every word she whispered, "I think if you didn't keep to yourself so often, you would see that people are lining up out the door for you."

Callie chuckled in disbelief at the confession Arizona had just made to her. People didn't really find her attractive, did they? She was the nerd; she isolated herself from everyone. If no one paid attention to her, how could they possibly want to get to know her better?

Callie didn't know what to say so she tried to brush off the compliment and take it as a joke instead, "You wanna give me some names?"

Arizona seemed to look at her sadly for a moment, before leaning in closer with a look Callie couldn't really identify in her eyes. The brunette couldn't even process what was happening before Arizona's lips were touching hers.

She was stunned. Shocked. Callie was being kissed by _Arizona Robbins_. Arizona _Fucking_ Robbins.

The brunette stayed frozen for a few seconds until she regained her wits and slapped herself back into the present. Callie finally moved to reciprocate; her lips moving softly against Arizona's.

She couldn't explain how surprisingly... _good_ it felt to kiss the blonde. Right there in the library. Callie was sitting, in the library, with one of prettiest girls in the school, _kissing_.

She once again began to have trouble thinking straight, especially when Arizona's free hand wound itself in Callie's dark tresses; her mouth becoming more insistent as it sucked Callie's bottom lip between her own lips. Her action caused the taller girl to whimper and kiss her back even harder.

By the time Arizona pulled away, Callie was breathless, eyes still closed as if she was reliving what had just happened. She immediately missed the feeling of the soft blonde's lips.

Arizona let out a breath of air on Callie's still tingling mouth, "I think you know now."

By the time the brunette opened her eyes Arizona was already walking towards the library doors. She was too stunned to do anything other than sit there silently and watch her saunter away.


	3. Chapter 3: i held her captive in my kiss

Arizona was in the dugout, re-tying her laces as the rest of her team prepared for that day's practice. Despite her efforts to focus on the game, her mind couldn't help but wander to a certain girl. One with beautiful, expressive eyes, and the softest lips she'd ever had the honor of kissing.

The blonde was not privy to the fact that she and Callie were now the talk of the school. Someone had seen their intimate exchange at the library the other day and wasted no time telling every person they knew. Not that Arizona wasn't used to being gossiped about all the time, she was just worried about how Callie was taking it. The brunette purposely tried to stay low, and then Arizona had come along and screw that tactic up.

Before she was able to ponder any further, Arizona felt someone bump her shoulder, "Hello, Ms. Talk of the Town, you know that no one will shut up about you, right?"

Arizona huffed at her best friend and fellow teammate's words, "I'm well aware of that, Teddy. Thank you for reminding me."

"No need to be mean," Teddy laughed, walking after the other blonde as she went to the pitcher's mound, "I, myself, am still trying to wrap my head around the situation. I mean...why did you kiss her again?"

Arizona panicked for a moment, unsure how to express her feelings for Callie. She wasn't quite sure what she felt for the brunette yet. The idea of having a real and genuine crush on a girl was a foreign concept to the blonde. For the first time in her high school career, she was actually interested in having a relationship with someone that wasn't just for sex.

And Calliope Torres was _so much more_ than just sex to her. She was brilliant and caring, and unbelievably stunning. Arizona wanted to know everything and anything about her. She wanted to spend time with Callie that didn't involve studying or a sloppy make out session, even though the thought of kissing the brunette again made Arizona break out in chills.

The blonde couldn't simply explain that to Teddy...or anyone really. She was never good with words or expressing her feelings and Arizona prayed to God that wouldn't screw her over later on.

"Why does it matter? I kiss girls all the time, it's not like it's a surprise," Arizona muttered, doing the best to brush off Teddy's comment, hoping she wouldn't ask again.

When Arizona saw Teddy purse her lips in thought and then finally walk away, she released a breath. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had almost no time to relax before the coach came out and instructed them to start the game.

* * *

It had only been a few minutes into practice and Arizona was already falling apart. She wasn't focused and her throwing was off, both of these things her coach continued to berate her about. Her head wasn't in the game at all but rather still in the library with Calliope.

The blonde attempted to pitch again, but it was once more a faulty throw.

"Arizona, you're on the bench. Next time bring your A-game to practice with you," Arizona blushed in shame at her coach's words, but still dragged herself over to the dugout. While sitting down she saw Teddy throw her a "what the hell?" look and she merely shrugged in defeat.

She was one hundred percent off her calibre today and could do nothing about. There was no use in trying to sort it out in her head, Arizona just wasn't able to wrap her mind around her new feelings. She had little reasoning for her actions in library and that threw her off more than anything.

Looking out into the distance, Arizona felt her heart skip when she spotted Callie sitting under an oak tree. The same one she was under the first time Arizona spoke with her. The blonde briefly wondered if she was there everyday and never noticed.

Arizona pondered the idea of going over there to speak with her about what happened in the library or instead acting like the kiss didn't occur. She thought about the worst scenarios of talking with Callie, which would be her refusing to be Arizona's tutor any longer or telling Arizona to go away and never speak with her again. There was same probability of this happening if Arizona didn't talk to Callie right then. _So screw it_ , the blonde thought, _better to face your problems now rather than later_.

Deciding not to sit in the dugout any longer, Arizona got up, and began making the trek to Callie.

* * *

Callie was working furiously on her homework, using the large amount of it to her advantage. She was trying her very best not to think about Arizona Robbins and the world stopping kiss they shared. All day she heard people talking about the private moment between them and Callie was being stared at far more than she was comfortable with. She couldn't escape from the gossip, except for right then. But even with no one around Callie's thought's were tormenting her.

Finishing up her calculus homework, Callie slouched back against the trunk of the tree, her eyes wandering to the softball field. She was surprised when she didn't see the number fifteen pitching, Callie wasn't able to stop herself from asking Arizona's whereabouts. Was she okay? Did she get hurt?

Callie's rapid fire questioning was halted when she spotted the subject of her thoughts coming her way. The brunette panicked, her eyes widening, as she quickly patted down her hair and straightened out her clothing. Her actions seemed silly, but they were involuntary...or that's what Callie told herself.

She didn't know where to look, so she grabbed her chemistry textbook and flipped to a random page to pretend she was studying. Callie was just in time, as Arizona arrived only moments later.

"Calliope?" Arizona said, her dimples showing prominently as she smiled. She seemed so confident other than the nervous wringing of her fingers.

"Arizona, hi," Callie replied, cringing at the breathlessness of her voice. She didn't want to hint any of her inner turmoil or feelings to Arizona, but she was already failing. The brunette tried to calm her racing heart but it was no use, she felt her pulse beating rapidly and hoped that her face wasn't flushed from the rise in blood pressure.

"Can we talk about what happened yesterday?" The blonde questioned and Callie held in a groan, it was the last thing she wanted to talk about at the moment. She could only handle so much drama for one day and the whispers and looks in the hallway were more than enough.

Callie conceded though, moving her backpack out of the way, and gesturing to the now open spot beside her, "Uh, yeah, sure, sit down."

"Listen," The blonde began, shakily, unsure how to state her emotions. She didn't want to push Calliope away or make her uncomfortable. So maybe apologizing would be the best choice? That way she wouldn't make the situation worse, "I'm really sorry about kissing you. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or start any unnecessary gossip. That wasn't my intention at all...I guess in the moment I wasn't thinking straight. So, I'm sorry."

"Oh," Callie couldn't stop the sadness from swelling in her chest. What did she expect? For Arizona to profess her undying love to her? Of course Arizona would regret their kiss. Callie was a nobody, a loser, certainly not enough for someone like Arizona, "It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Great," Arizona stated, relieved that Callie had taken her apology sincerely. But she also thought she could see some sadness in Callie's expressive eyes. Perhaps her mind was just tricking her into thinking Callie wanted something more from her, "Can we still be study buddies?"

The brunette tried to resist Arizona's pleading eyes, but found herself giving in. Callie still wanted to spend time with the blonde because as much as she denied it, seeing Arizona is what made her day. So Callie conceded, "Yeah, of course."

"So, I'll see you in the library after school tomorrow?" Arizona asked, confirming that their studying schedule would remain the same.

"I'll be there," Despite the painful tightening in Callie's chest, she managed a small smile.

Arizona grinned back ten times as bright, and hopped up from the ground, "See ya tomorrow then, Calliope."

* * *

The next day went by slowly for Callie, even more so than usual. All she could think about was the encounter she had with Arizona by the softball field. Did the blonde really feel like the kiss was a mistake? Did Callie really not mean anything to her? The brunette felt stupid, angry that she thought for even a second she could be special to the other girl.

As Callie walked the halls, she tried her best to keep her head down, since people were still whispering about her. She'd never been the center of attention like this, not even when it got out that her and Erica Hahn had gotten drunk at a party one night and made out in front of everyone.

Most of the talk centered around the fact that Arizona was popular, and how no one could understand why she would get involved with someone as quiet and reserved as Callie. It didn't really bother the brunette that they thought that, she understood, she was a nobody. What hurt was the fact that Arizona regretted the kiss. Callie willed herself to put the girl as far out of her mind as possible as she made her way to the rest of her classes.

* * *

The final bell rang and instead of being the first to leave the class, Callie was the last, lagging behind. She didn't care about getting to the library on time today.

To her surprise, Arizona was already there when she arrived, waiting for her in their usual spot. The blonde's face immediately brightened when she saw Callie, a gesture the brunette couldn't help but blush at.

"Hey, Calliope, how are you?" Arizona asked, her grin stunning enough to bring the strongest to their knees. Her beautiful blue eyes seemed to sparkle even more that day, leaving Callie speechless for a few seconds. The brunette was able to compose herself though and snap out of the daze the other girl had put her in.

"We should probably get started, I don't have a lot of time today," Callie lied, coming off cold and distant. It wasn't her original intention to act that way, but she did anyway.

The girls wordlessly took out their books, not exchanging any glances or making eye contact. They remained silent until Callie began to quiz Arizona on the formulas she needed to know for her test the next day.

The brunette did her best to detach herself for the situation, she didn't want to get lost in the other girl's eyes, it was too easy to. If that happened her feelings would get the better of her. Callie instead kept her eyes on the flashcards in her hands, never looking up.

* * *

A few minutes into their session Arizona sighed, knowing that the brunette's obvious annoyance towards her was due to their encounter by the softball field yesterday. It made her sad not to see Callie's beautiful, timide smile. It was something that never failed in making butterflies erupt in her stomach and warmth run through her veins.

Arizona's heart always began to beat faster whenever she was the cause of a smile or a blush that rose to Callie's face. The brunette's smile was unlike anything else. Her grin reached all the way up to her eyes, and her already enticing irises were made even more beautiful.

After about a half hour of Callie barely even looking at her and speaking strictly about chemistry, Arizona decided screw it. She was going to make a move. She was desperate for a reaction from Callie, even a glance at this point would make her jump out of her seat.

Arizona started out by shifting closer to the other girl, her body moving as near to Callie as possible until her butt was practically hanging off the side of her chair. She felt slightly hopeful when Callie squirmed around in her seat, undoubted feeling the heat emanating from the blonde's body.

Their shoulders brushed and Callie's hands flexed around her flashcards, her tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips. Arizona tracked the movement with her eyes intently, heat settling low in her stomach.

Arizona took Callie's reactions as a confidence boost and moved her head in closer, her lips almost grazing the other girl's ear.

Callie could feel Arizona's on breath on her skin and her warm body pressing into her side. The feelings sent chill after chill down her spine and she began to have trouble controlling herself. It was a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling to be so deeply attracted to someone. To have her breathing become labored and her body sensitive. For that fire to burn inside of her. Callie wanted to run, far and fast, but something about Arizona was so alluring that it kept her from doing so.

The blonde paused for a second, thinking of her next actions. She could repeat what had happened last time they were in this library or gain some self control. It was oh so tempting to kiss Callie's raspberry colored lips again, to feel the softness of them against their own, but she couldn't do that. She had to respect Callie's silent wishes and not take advantage of their mutual attraction.

Arizona took a deep breath before speaking in a low tone, "Can you teach me how to do this formula again?"

Her mouth lingered only for a moment longer by Callie's ear until she slowly moved away to look the other girl in the eyes for the first time that day.

Callie gulped, seeing something akin to lust brewing in the blonde's eyes. Her normal sky blue irises were closer to navy and her pupils were slightly dilated. Callie was barely able to get out her words without choking, "Uh, yeah."

She pulled herself away from Arizona's mesmerizing eyes and went on to write the formula in her notebook.

Midway through the problem, she felt Arizona take her hand to stop her from continuing. The action made Callie's heart stutter for a moment.

The blonde caught her gaze when she finally looked up, Arizona's delicate features looking flirtatious yet soothing, "Do you wanna come to my house on Friday after school? You know…to study."

The question was abrupt and came out of nowhere, but Arizona couldn't get the idea of wanting to spend time with Callie outside of school out of her head. She wanted to get to know her better more than anything, it was a feeling Arizona couldn't quite understand, but still embraced.

Callie, herself, was unable to stop the smile that spread across her face, her cold demeanor dropping almost instantly. Her heart fluttered - for what must've been the millionth time that day - at the thought of Arizona _wanting_ to spend time with her that wasn't just them studying. Maybe the blonde really was interested in her?

Arizona was silently rejoicing at the brunette's reaction. She was so happy that, yet again, she was the cause of Callie's stunning smile. It was a feeling that would never get old.

Callie tried her very best to calm her racing heart before answering, "Yes, I'd like that a lot."

Arizona grinned at her answer, her face glowing with happiness. She was so excited to spend time with the girl who had her so awestruck. Maybe she would finally learn who Calliope Torres was, not the girl from school, but the one from the real world.


	4. Chapter 4: please don't go

Callie sat in calculus class, her pen tapping furiously against her notebook as her eyes watched the clock. She was beyond nervous about going to Arizona's house after school that day. Despite Arizona breaking the ice between them in the library, Callie still had no idea how to act around the blonde. The reasoning behind their kiss was still yet to be addressed, so Callie was left constantly wondering if all of the nice things Arizona said were true and what the extent of the blonde's feelings were.

Callie was unsure of what Arizona wanted from her. A relationship? A friendship? Sex? The blonde's actions were confusing and constantly had Callie's mind in a race to figure them out. First she kissed Callie and then she proceeded to apologize for doing so. The contradicting responses made close to no sense, and the brunette could only guess that Arizona was just as confused at her actions as she was.

The shrill ringing of a bell had Callie jumping in her seat. She patiently waited for the rush of students to pass her before getting up herself and exiting the classroom.

Yesterday during tutoring, Arizona had told Callie to meet her in the front of the school. So she made her way there, growing more nervous with each step, trying desperately to organize the many thoughts running through her head. Callie was hoping that Arizona would already be present when she arrived so she wouldn't have wait any longer and make herself even more anxious.

Walking through the school's entrance, Callie spotted the blonde standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching the many teenagers that flowed from the double doors. When Arizona spotted the person she was looking for, a smile lit up her face and her eyes sparkled with a renewed excitement.

"Hey, Calliope," The blonde's voice flowed over Callie like a sweet melody and she had to stop herself from sighing like a lovesick fool.

"Hey," The brunette drawled, her lips pulling up in a lopsided grin, "you ready to go?"

"Yeah, is it okay if we walk? I live right down the street so I don't drive to school," Arizona asked somewhat shyly.

Callie found it endearing how Arizona, a renown player, became so bashful around her. She thought it was adorable. Even more so when the blonde's nose scrunched up and a light blush covered her cheeks. Arizona Robbins was beautiful and that was something Callie would not deny.

"Callie?"

The brunette shook her head when she realized she had been staring, "Yeah, sorry, it's fine if we walk. I'll just have to come back to pick up my car."

"Okay," Arizona replied quietly, as her nerves began to build up, then nodding her head in the direction they needed to go, "let's start walking?"

Callie followed the blonde's lead, walking beside her on the sidewalk, "How do you think you did on the test today?"

Arizona couldn't wipe the smirk off her face if she tried, being in Callie's presence made her feel confusingly giddy. Not that she hated the feeling, it was actually becoming quite addicting, "I think I did pretty well, for the first time this semester I actually understood everything on it."

Callie giggled lightly and Arizona closed her eyes at the sound. It was heavenly. It made every part of her jump with satisfaction. She wanted to hear it every second of every day.

"Thank you for tutoring me," Arizona said, brushing her shoulder against Callie's, "At first I didn't think it would help, but...it did. And I can't express how grateful I am. You're amazing, Calliope, thank you."

Callie blushed hard at the blonde's words, her stomach erupting with butterflies, and her heart racing wildly. Arizona's words meant more than she could ever know. They filled Callie with a feeling of self worth, something that was so rare nowadays.

"Your smile is beautiful, I wish I saw it more often," Arizona murmured, admiring the way Callie bit down on her full, pink bottom lip in an effort not to grin. She really was gorgeous and Arizona would tell her everyday until she believed it.

Callie let out an amused huff, her breath lost at the blonde's endless compliments, "You're a real flirt, did you know that?"

"So I've been told," Arizona replied, her dimples popping when she smiled cheekily.

As the sidewalk became narrower the two were pushed closer together, the full length of their arms brushing. Arizona couldn't stop herself from hooking her fore and middle finger around Callie's, her smile growing at the little gasp the brunette released.

They walked a few blocks in a comfortable silence until Arizona pulled Callie around a corner, "This is it."

Callie's eyes brightened as her and Arizona began to walk up the path leading to the blonde's house. It was small and quaint, painted white with almost a hint of pink. Flowers surrounded the front of the house, and there was a welcome mat sitting in front of the door. Callie smiled, looking down, silently wishing this was a place she could've grown up at.

Breaking her away from her thoughts, Arizona nudged her, signaling to enter the house. As the brunette walked in, she noticed the house was even more welcoming on the inside. There was a floral couch, covered in light pink throw pillows in the living room, and a kitchen located in the room behind it. Right away, walking into this house Callie could feel a sense of happiness and love.

"You can leave your shoes by the door," Arizona offered, kicking off her converse, waiting patiently as Callie did the same, "Is it okay if we go to my room?"

"Uh, sure." Callie stammered, suddenly nervous at the thought of spending the next few hours _alone_ with Arizona. In her bedroom.

Callie briefly wondered where her parents were, but didn't want to pry so she kept quiet and began to follow the blonde up the stairs.

She caught herself ogling Arizona's ass in the tight jeans she was wearing and fought to look away. The blonde might have an amazing butt but that didn't give Callie the right to stare at it.

The upstairs of the house was small, only holding three rooms, one of which Callie assumed was the bathroom, the others being bedrooms. Arizona's door was the last, colorful letters spelling out her name placed on the wood.

Callie fought down a smirk at the sight, it certainly wasn't what she expecting. It seemed her humor wasn't as concealed as she hoped because Arizona pouted when she saw Callie's face.

"Don't laugh," The blonde grumbled, pushing the door open, "those are from when I was a baby, I don't have the heart to take them down."

"I'm not laughing," Callie testified, glancing around at the new scenery. Surprisingly, Arizona's room was not nearly as badass, as the brunette thought it would be. The walls were painted a light blue, matching the bed spread, and Arizona had multiple string lights hung up along the walls. There was also a clothesline holding Polaroids pinned on the backboard of her bed. It was all very...simple, yet unique.

"Make yourself comfortable," Arizona said, somewhat shyly, embarrassed at how intently Callie was studying her bedroom.

The brunette nodded and set her bag down by the bed, her feet walking on their own accord toward the pictures of Arizona. She smiled when she saw ones from what must have been middle school. The blonde had braces in a few them, and Callie thought it was adorable.

"Probably not what you were expecting, huh?"

Callie looked over at Arizona, not quite catching what she said, "What?"

"You probably didn't think my room would look like this," The blonde clarified.

"I didn't know what to expect, but this is...cute," Callie said, finally sitting down on the bed and beginning to take out her chemistry textbook.

"Cute? I-I'm...my bedroom is not _cute_ ," Arizona defended. She was many things, but cute was not one of them. Bunnies were cute. Babies were cute. Arizona was hot, attractive, beautiful even. But she _was not cute_.

"Oh, shush," Callie laughed, "you invited me over to study, let's get to it, we have a quiz on Monday."

Arizona huffed in defeat, knowing that Callie was just as stubborn as she was and wouldn't take back the comment. Instead she plopped down next to Callie and took her notebook out.

* * *

They had been studying for an hour before they decided to take a break when Arizona began complaining about being hungry. Callie was reluctant to let them stop, but finally agreed to a fifteen minute recess, no more.

The blonde smiled brightly and ran downstairs quickly to grab snacks and water. She came back in a minute, not wanting to waste any time, her arms loaded with bags and two bottles.

"Help yourself," Arizona said, unceremoniously dropping the goodies on her bed.

The blonde grabbed a bag chips and then lied back, watching as Callie did the same. Arizona turned on her side so she was facing Callie, their bodies coming closer, to the point where the brunette could feel Arizona's soft breaths on her shoulder.

Turning her head, Callie met the blonde's crystal eyes, "So, where are your parents?"

"My mom's at work, she's a third grade teacher," Arizona explained, crunching on a chip, "My dad, or The Colonel, as he prefers to be called, is deployed in Afghanistan."

"Oh, that must be hard for you and your mom," Callie said sadly. She couldn't imagine what it was like to have a father overseas constantly risking his life for their country.

"He's been in the military since I was a baby, I'm used to it by now," Although the blonde's words sounded strong, there was a sadness that Callie could see in her eyes. It broke her heart to see Arizona in pain. All Callie wanted to do was pull her into a hug.

"My brother, Timothy, is also stationed over there, it sucks that I don't get to see them in person very often, but we Skype when we can. It suffices," Wanting to move away from the topic before she got too emotional, Arizona changed the focus to Callie, "What do your parents do?"

The brunette's breath hitched at the question, it was a long complicated story that she would rather not have to explain, "My dad owns some companies and my mom helps him with marketing."

"That's cool, what kind of companies?"

Callie knew Arizona was just simply being curious, but the answer would open too many doors and result in too many inquiries, "I'm not sure, my father keeps his work separate from his private life."

The blonde could tell that Callie was a very private person, and she didn't mean to pry, but she wanted to know more about her. Maybe, that could wait for another time, when Callie was more comfortable around Arizona.

A comfortable silence settled on them, and Arizona felt her attention being drawn away from her food and instead focused on the girl in front of her.

Callie's head was turned toward the ceiling, as she gazed at nothing in particular. She looked relaxed for once, something highly uncommon for Arizona to see. Maybe it was because they were no longer in school? Perhaps it was sign that Callie _was_ comfortable around her.

Arizona couldn't help but study the side profile of the brunette face. Being so up close, she could see things that she hadn't before. The curves and angles of Callie's face were much more prominent and defined. Her jawline looked sharp to the touch and the curve of her cheekbones were stunning. Everything about Callie was beautiful. Her expressive eyes. Her long, soft hair. Her plush lips.

Oh, what Arizona would give to kiss those lips again. The feel them caress her own. The temptation was so, so strong. The attraction she felt towards Callie drove her crazy, and it was always a struggle not to let her feelings control her actions. It was even more difficult now than usual with Callie lying so close to her, looking _so damn_ _beautiful_.

When Callie's tongue came out to wet her lips, that was the final straw for Arizona, she had no self control left to give. Her hand reached up on it's own accord to grasp the brunette's chin and tilt her head towards Arizona.

The second she could the blonde brought her mouth to Callie's, her lips pressing tenderly yet passionately. The familiar feeling of kissing Callie entered her system and it made her sigh in relief. It was almost like the brunette was a drug and she needed a fix.

Arizona was beyond happy when Callie didn't pull away and instead started kissing her back. One of her strong hands landed on the blonde's hip, while the other wound into her golden locks, food long forgotten. With the leverage she had Callie pulled Arizona closer, their bodies molding together softly.

The softball player's lips were relentless against Callie's, as she nipped and sucked. The calloused fingers rubbing gently against the brunette's cheek provided a welcomed contrast to the heated liplock she was in.

A pull of her hips into Callie's caused Arizona to moan quietly, the sound doing very unholy things to the brunette. There was a fire raging within her and with every second that passed it grew stronger and stronger.

Soon Callie's tongue began to press eagerly against Arizona's lips, seeking for entrance and a taste of the girl. The blonde complied happily, whimpering as Callie's tongue met her own.

As their kisses heated up, so did Callie's confidence boosted, and her hands began to wander. She hoped she wasn't crossing any boundaries, but it seemed like Arizona didn't have any complaints when Callie's fingers began to massage the flesh of her ass.

The blonde moaned her encouragement, her legs pulling a thigh between her own so she had something to grind on. If the liquid heat that pooled in her panties was anything to go by, Arizona was _really fucking turned on_. Callie was doing unimaginable things to her, she was making her feels things she had never felt before. It was addictive, Callie was addictive.

Their tongues continued to lap eagerly at one another, breathy moans escaping Arizona everytime Callie's thigh pressed against her, while the blonde's hands began to do some exploring of their own. The one that had been on Callie's cheek had long ago buried itself in her dark tresses in order to pull her lips more firmly against Arizona's. And the other was leisurely running up and down Callie's side, not quite sure if the brunette's breasts were a no-go-zone.

She decided to take the chance and gently cupped Callie's breast, her fingers caressing the mound. Arizona had fully expected Callie to pull away, but instead, much to Arizona's surprise, she moaned loudly, thrusting her chest forward in approval.

"Arizona," Callie breathed suddenly, her mouth still moving against the blonde's and her hand still gripping her ass, "We...we should...stop."

The brunette fought against her desire to continue kissing Arizona and eventually found the strength to reluctantly pull away. She rested her forehead on Arizona's as they both caught their breath.

"You're right," Arizona agreed, bringing her palm back to Callie's hip, her thumb stroking the skin between her top and jeans.

"We really need to stop doing this," Callie stated, sitting up whilst fixing her hair and shirt, "We need to talk about what's going on between us."

Arizona's brain was still recuperating from the intense kiss they just shared, but she did pick up the seriousness in Callie's tone. She knew that it was time to address the feelings that were brewing between them. Arizona needed to lay down her emotions and sort them out with the brunette. They _needed_ to discuss what was to become of their relationship.

The blonde sat up herself, grabbing Callie's hands to keep the physical connection that they had before. She wouldn't admit that touching Callie was her new favorite thing.

"I like you, Calliope," Arizona began, catching the brunette's gaze, "I like you a lot. And I know that we are from two different worlds when it comes to school, but _I don't care_. It doesn't matter how many friends we both have or our reputations. I like you for who you are, and I couldn't care less about what others think. I want to be something more than a friend to you."

"I know you don't care about everyone else, but I do. I'm always worried what others think of me," Callie replied, and when she saw the dejected look in Arizona's eyes she rushed to continue, "And I _really, really_ like you, Arizona, but if we dated...do you know how much attention that would bring us? How many people would ask why you were with someone like _me_? A nobody?"

Arizona felt her heart break at Callie's words, how could she think so little of herself? She was everything and more. Callie was beautiful and amazing, she never ceased to take Arizona's breath away.

"Hey, don't say that. You _are not_ a 'nobody', Calliope. You are miraculous, you...you are breathtakingly stunning."

Arizona saw the emotion swimming in Callie's eyes and cupped her face with her hands, "Don't ever let anyone tell you you are anything but. Calliope, you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met."

"That's what _you_ think, Arizona. Nobody else sees me in the same light as you do. And that's what scares me. I don't want you to sacrifice your reputation in order to be with me."

Arizona took a deep breath, realizing that she wasn't going to get Callie to understand just by speaking with her. She thought for a moment until an idea came to mind, it was a long shot, but maybe she could get Callie to agree.

"Listen, one of my friends is throwing a party tomorrow night, and I would really like it if you went with me," Arizona saw Callie open in her mouth in protest, but beat her to the punch, "Before you say no, just think about it. I want you to come as my date, not just to prove to you that no will judge us for being together, but because I like you."

"They're already judging us. Every time I walk through the halls at school people stare at me and whisper," The brunette testified, playing with Arizona's fingers.

"They aren't judging us, they're just interested, Calliope. People in our grade like you, you're just so quiet that they don't know anything about you. That's why they are talking."

Callie thought hard for a moment, what's that worst thing that could happen? If she was uncomfortable, Arizona would take her home. The blonde wouldn't leave her to fend on her own, she would be with her the entire time. And it would be great to spend some more time with Arizona, "Alright, I-I'll go."

"Really?" The blonde said cheerfully, bouncing lightly in her spot.

"Really."

Arizona couldn't help but kiss Callie on the lips in her excitement, making the brunette tense in surprise before relaxing completely.

"Come here," The blonde giggled as she pulled Callie into her, lying back down. Arizona grinned as the brunette cuddled into her neck, her nose nuzzling against her skin, causing goosebumps to rise on the blonde's arms.

Callie felt unbelievably warm against her, her body so soft and heated that it made Arizona want to take a nap. Right there, with Callie in her arms.

Her fingers ran through the brunette's soft hair, lightly brushing out the tangles. Arizona felt her heart skip a beat at the small purr that escaped Callie when she massaged her scalp.

"I'm gonna fall asleep if you keep doing that," Callie murmured, the hand she had draped over Arizona's stomach, squeezing the blonde's hip in warning.

"What's so bad about falling asleep?"

"Nothing," Callie said, "It's just that you invited me over to _study_ , not to nap."

Arizona smiled at her comment, "I think I'll do just fine on the quiz."

"I would hope, or all my hard work would be for nothing," The brunette teased, laughing when she felt Arizona's jaw drop in mock hurt.

" _Your_ work? I'm the one studying my ass off."

"We'll I'm teaching my ass off."

"And I'm-,"

They both looked up when Arizona's door opened, an older women, who looked strikingly familiar to the blonde, stepping through, "Sorry to interrupt, girls, I just wanted to let you know I was home."

"Oh," Arizona stuttered in surprise, sitting up. During her and Callie's playful banter she hadn't even heard her mom get home, let alone walk up the stairs, "Mom, this is Calliope, she's been tutoring me for chemistry."

"Hi," Callie squeaked, her cheeks hot as fire. She was embarrassed to death at being caught cuddling with this woman's daughter, in her _bed_.

"Hello, dear. I'm Arizona's mother, you can call me Barbara," The older woman said sweetly.

From what Callie could tell Barbara was a very sweet lady, who didn't seem to mind that she was in Arizona's room at all. That came as a shock, considering her own mother and father would never let a boy or girl anywhere close to her bedroom.

Callie smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Barbara."

"You too, Callie," Barbara was about to leave but turned back around, "Oh, are you staying for dinner?"

The brunette checked the time on Arizona's bedside clock and saw that it was already past four, "My parents are actually expecting me home now, but thank you for the offer."

"You're welcome, feel free to come over for dinner anytime," With a bright grin, one very similar to Arizona's, the woman left, shutting the door behind her.

"Do you really have to leave?" Arizona questioned with a pout. The time she had spent with Callie flew by faster than she thought, and she was reluctant to let her leave.

"Yeah, I always have dinner really early," Callie said, packing up her things, "And I live like twenty minutes away."

"Oh, at least let me walk you back to your car."

The brunette blushed again, "I would like that a lot."

* * *

It didn't take long to walk back to school, and for that Callie was upset. She didn't want to say goodbye to Arizona just yet. The time she spent with the blonde was the best she's had in a long time.

"Thank you for having me over," Callie smiled, her grip tightening on Arizona's hand, unwilling to let go.

"Thank you for coming," Arizona said while smiling back, unable to resist giving Callie one last kiss. Their lips touched and time stopped. Neither one wanted the moment to end, it was just too perfect.

Callie eventually broke away, "I really need to get home."

"Okay," Arizona finally untangled her fingers from the brunette's, the warmth that disappeared made her want to grab Callie's hand back, "Oh, Calliope?"

The brunette paused from getting into her car, "Yeah?"

"About the party tomorrow, April Kepner is our designated driver. She'll be picking up me, you, and Teddy Altman. So be ready at eight, okay?"

Callie grinned at the mention of tomorrow evening, "Alright, I look forward to seeing you."

"Me too," Arizona watched from the curb as Callie got in her car and pulled out of the school parking lot.

The further the Thunderbird drove away, the more she felt as if a piece of her was missing. That piece being Calliope.


	5. Chapter 5: you found me

Callie had woken up that morning with a sense of giddiness, remembering the events of yesterday at Arizona's house. She was happy that they had talked about their feelings and where they wanted things to go. She was content in knowing that Arizona wanted to be with her despite everything. It gave Callie a sense of relief knowing that someone she felt so dearly about felt just as strongly about her. Callie was left feeling light and airy, like all of her insecurities were just floating away.

Soon after though, the excitement of yesterday wore off and Callie remembered the party. From the time she got out of bed, she was desperately trying to figure out what to wear. Everything she picked out either felt too casual or not nice enough, and the closer it got to when Arizona, Teddy, and April were picking her up, the more her anxiety grew.

The brunette hadn't been to a party since the night she made out with Erica, and a part of her was scared. Scared that people would remember and bring it up, that they would think Arizona was just another fling for her.

That night with Erica wasn't something she was proud of, it was out of character for her and she continuously tried her hardest not to remember. Although she regretted the way it happened, Callie didn't regret the kiss itself. She had feelings for Erica for a long while before that party and it seemed everything kept building between them, until, finally, they kissed.

As Callie looked through her seemingly endless amount of clothing, she let her mind wander back to the night of her kiss with Erica.

* * *

 _Callie got into the car with Mark, slightly annoyed that he had somehow talked her into attending a party. She had planned on a night in, studying, but her best friend had other plans for her. His only reasoning was that it was time for her to 'go out and have fun.' She went out and spent time with friends occasionally, but never had she gone to a_ party _. It just wasn't her scene. She would rather relax at home and watch tv, not drink herself to oblivion._

 _Callie had made quite the argument, reinforcing the idea that she didn't want to go,_ at all _, and that she had multiple tests to study for. She only ended up agreeing because Mark had practically begged her to go and mentioned that a certain someone would be present; Erica Hahn. Callie wouldn't tell but that was the reason she acquiesced, to fulfill her want to seeing Erica._

 _For the past few months Callie had known she had feelings for the girl that were more than friendly. At first they had started off as good friends and had grown close, but over the months Callie could tell she began to see Erica in a different way. One that painted her as attractive and hot. The brunette's newfound feelings confused her, as she had never dated or wanted to date a_ girl _before. So, Callie never acted on her feelings, too afraid of herself and the fact that Erica might not feel the same way. Maybe tonight was the night Callie could reveal her feelings and take it to the next level?_

 _The whole car ride over to the party Callie was nervous, shuffling in her seat, unable to sit still. She was trying to figure out what she would say to Erica in her head. She kept going over her speech again and again, always finding something wrong with it, or just deciding she should say anything at all. After what felt like hours of anxiously waiting and repeating her monologue, they had arrived at the house where the party was being held._

 _They both got out of the car, before going inside the house. Upon entering Callie could see that the party was already in full swing. Music was blaring, teenagers were dancing incredibly close to one another, alcohol was seemingly at every turn._

 _Right away Mark went off to mingle with the other people there, leaving Callie alone amidst a sea of people. Although Mark promised he would be right back, Callie shrugged him off, wanting him to go so she could leave to find Erica._

 _The brunette began to walk around the party, looking everywhere for the girl she so desperately wanted to see. She didn't have to courage to ask anyone if they saw her, so she just continued to lap around the house and search herself._

 _Callie had looked around the home multiple times and was about to give up when she felt a tap on her shoulder, "Hey."_

 _She knew that voice, it was Erica._

 _The brunette quickly turned around, not able to hide the smile that immediately began to form on her face at the sight of the other girl, "I was looking for you."_

 _Before Callie could process what was happening, Erica took her hand and led her to the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge._

" _You want one?" Callie was hesitant at first, but decided to take the beverage. This wasn't her first time at a party, so she knew she could handle her liquor fairly well. It wouldn't hurt, would it?_

 _The two girls then headed over to the living room, sitting on a couch off to the side that was slightly secluded from everyone else. They began to drink their beers, staring at each other, sitting in comfortable silence._

 _Erica was the first to speak, "You look really good tonight, Callie."_

 _Callie looked down at her dress, butterflies swarming in the pit of her stomach at the blonde's compliment._

 _She wasn't sure what was happening but Callie had a sudden urge of confidence come to her. It was probably the alcohol settling in her system._

" _Thank you," Callie said in a low tone, not breaking eye contact with Erica as she scooted closer, bringing her mouth up to Erica's ear, "you look hot,_ really _hot."_

* * *

 _Several beers and shots later, Callie and Erica were basically on top of each other. They had long forgotten that they were surrounded by others, nor did they care. And with every second that went by, the brunette found it harder and harder to pay attention to anything other than Erica's lips. Usually she would be frightened that she wanted to kiss the girl, but the copious amounts of alcohol she drank was giving her courage she didn't usually have._

 _In a split decision, Callie decided to screw it, and then her lips were on Erica's. The brunette was pleasantly surprised when Erica recuperated the kiss almost immediately, the mix of sexual tension and alcohol coursing through them making the kiss very heated, very quickly._

 _They continued kissing for a while, only pulling apart when they heard someone whistle._

 _It took Callie a few seconds to realize everyone was staring at them, and what she had done slowly set in. She and just furiously made out with Erica Hahn, in front of most of their peers._

 _A deep blush rose to Callie's face from embarrassed, and without thinking she bolted away from Erica, making a break for the front door._

 _As she ran outside, she looked frantically for Mark's car, crying now. The realization sinking in that she had just kissed a girl, and liked it...a lot. And_ everyone _saw. This couldn't be right, she liked guys. She had dated guys in the past and always enjoyed being with them. She wasn't gay, she couldn't be. Nothing was making sense, nothing. She needed someone to talk to who would understand, but no one did. Maybe Mark?_

 _After what felt like hours of Callie crying hysterically by her friend's car, Mark finally came out - luckily he hadn't had anything to drink that night and was able to drive._

 _He pulled Callie in for a comforting hug, not asking any questions for her sake, as he heard what happened. Callie sighed and leaned into his embrace, forgetting for a moment all that had happened. Mark had always been her rock, the one she turned to when things got tough. They even tried dating for awhile, but it had turned out awfully, and they decided to stay best friends. She was so grateful to have someone as supportive and kind as Mark was._

 _When Callie calmed down, he led her to the other side of the car, opening the door for her, ushering her to go in and sit down. He silently followed in suit, and turned the engine on, driving away._

 _Mark knew that it wasn't the right time to say anything, but he did have one thing to point out, "Callie, you can like both girls and guys...it's okay."_

 _Callie thought deeply about her friend's words, letting them sink in for a moment. Could she be bisexual? Was that a reasonable explanation for her feelings, One thing that kissing Erica had showed her was that there wasn't a difference between kissing a guy and kissing a girl. It made her feel the same. So, did that mean she was attracted to both genders?_

 _The wheels in Callie's head were spinning faster than ever, her brain avidly trying to sort everything out. The brunette had so many questions and inquiries, ones that only she could answer herself._

* * *

It had taken Callie the rest of the night to get ready, as she had meticulously done her hair and makeup, wanting to look her best for Arizona. She had eventually settled for black jeans and a low cut top after ages of searching through her wardrobe. It was simple outfit, but it was also sexy, sexy enough to make a statement.

The brunette had finished putting on her high heeled boots just in time as Arizona texted her a second later saying that they were waiting out front. Callie felt her stomach clench with nervous excitement at the thought of going to a party with Arizona.

Callie was grabbing her purse, about to leave, when she heard a voice come from behind her, "Where are you going so late, Calliope?"

Of course, her father would pick now of all times to show up and act like he gave a damn about her.

Carlos Torres had always been a stoic man, and he often distanced himself from family in favor of investing himself in work. He and Callie's mother, Lucia, were not present for much of her childhood, and instead hired babysitters to take care of her. She had never formed a bond that most children had with their parents, and instead of brooding over her loss, Callie opted to pretend they weren't even there.

"Why do you care, Papá?" Callie gritted out. Why did her father choose to worry about her wellbeing on tonight of all nights?

"You are my daughter, I have the right to know."

Callie snorted at his response, " _Yeah_ , since when have you ever cared?"

Not even giving Carlos a chance to respond, Callie was exiting the front door shouting, "Don't wait up for me."

* * *

"Is this it?" April gapped, her eyes widening at the house, no wait mansion, before her.

"Yep, this is the right house number," Arizona replied, awestruck herself. Callie had mentioned her father owning companies, but she never said that he was _loaded._ Callie's house was like one of those fancy ones you only saw in movies and tv shows, it was giant.

"You didn't tell me your girlfriend was rich," Teddy chirped, looking back at Arizona from the front seat.

The blonde glared at her, "She's not my girlfriend yet. And I didn't know she was wealthy either."

Arizona sighed, unable to keep from feeling upset. Maybe Callie hadn't told her because she didn't trust her? Perhaps she thought Arizona would use her for her money? The blonde stopped herself from thinking any further, there had to be a logical explanation for Callie withholding such information. She certainly didn't do it to purposely hurt Arizona, the brunette wasn't that type of person. Changing her train of thought, Arizona instead focused on her anticipation of seeing Callie again.

 _We're here,_ Arizona texted, sitting back and waiting patiently for the brunette the exit her house. Her mind conjuring up what Callie might be wearing or how her soft, thick hair was styled. God, she loved Callie's hair.

It took a minute or two but eventually Arizona spotted a figure walking down the driveway to April's car. Having difficulty containing herself, Arizona debated getting out of the car to meet Callie halfway of not. She was beyond ready to see the brunette's beautiful face again.

When the door finally opened, Arizona's breath was instantly taken away. Callie looked like a goddess, her hair was curled to perfection, and her smokey eyeshadow make her already dark irises even more deadly. Arizona thought she would pass out from the sight, and it certainly didn't help that Callie was wearing the tightest, most sexy outfit Arizona had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. _Fuck_ , Callie looked hot. Almost dirty hot.

"Hey," Arizona breathed, just about swooning over her.

"Hey," The brunette returned, taking in Arizona's appearance with rapt attention. She was wearing a very short mini skirt that showed off her amazing legs. _Oh god_ , how Callie remembered what they felt like wrapped around her own. She had also noticed the tinted lip gloss Arizona was wearing and no matter how much self control she had it wasn't enough. Callie placed a small kiss on the blonde's lips, smirking when she realized the gloss tasted like cherries.

"Enough PDA, you guys ready to party?" Teddy questioned, making the couple break apart, Callie blushing quietly while Arizona sported a wide grin.

Taking the brunette's hand, Arizona replied, "Ready."

Callie laughed as Teddy turned up the radio and April drove out of her neighborhood. She liked Arizona's friends already.

* * *

Arriving at the party, Callie could already see the large amount of people who attended. There were cars lined all down the street, as well as people overflowing onto the front lawn, beer bottles and cans in their hands.

"Woah," Callie stuttered, her anxiety rearing its ugly head once again. Thoughts and doubts that she'd had so many times before circled around in her mind. They continued to until she felt Arizona grip her hand tightly.

"It's okay, Calliope. I'll be with you the entire time."

Arizona's words calmed Callie a little, but she was still concerned over how many people she was going to be around tonight. How many people would see her and Arizona _together_.

It wasn't that she was embarrassed of Arizona, it was quite the opposite actually. She was embarrassed for the blonde as she had to lug her around the entire night. And although Arizona told her not to, Callie couldn't help but feel like she was tarnishing her reputation.

"Come on, it'll be fine," Arizona assured, helping Callie out of the car. She continued to hold the brunette's hand as they walked up the pathway to the front door, not caring about anyone else but her date.

Stepping inside the house was a drastic change from the outside. Music was playing loudly from a sound system as people milled around, some playing beer pong while others sat on floor or a piece of furniture, talking. Callie spotted one or two couples making out in the open without a care in the world and she cringed, remembering the time that was her and Erica.

"Follow me, Teddy and I know who's throwing the party, we'll find a more private place," Arizona shouted over the music, keeping a strong hold on Callie, as to not lose her in the crowd.

Callie walked close to Arizona, noticing how the population kept decreasing the further back into the house they went. Eventually they reached a door that led to a small den, where only a dozen or so people were sat.

"You guys finally came," Callie heard, before a brunette barreled forward to hug Teddy and Arizona. As she got a closer look at the girl, Callie recognized her as Amelia Shepherd. Her brother was throwing the party.

"Of course we did," Teddy smiled, stepping away from them and turning to April, wrapping her arms around her neck, "Help me find something to drink?"

April smirked in a way that had Callie turning away, feeling as if she was intruding on something private.

" _Oh_ , I think I can be of great help," She heard the redhead whisper, giggles filling the room as the couple wandered clumsily back out of the door.

"Well…," Amelia drawled, "they won't be back for at least two hours," Quickly grabbing two solo cups and filling them with beer, she placed them in Callie and Arizona's hands, "Please enjoy the party."

With that Amelia was gone, leaving them in a dark room that smelled the slightest bit like weed, "What kind of beer is this?" Callie questioned, holding up her cup.

"Not sure but it's mixed with tequila. It will get you drunk... _fast_ ," Arizona answered, leading the brunette over to a nearby couch, "I've learned not to question Amelia's concoctions."

Callie laughed, albeit still a bit wary of the situation. She felt out of place at a party like this, with so many people from their school.

"Calliope," The blonde said, placing a warm hand on her knee, "try to calm down, just talk to me."

Something about Arizona's smile made Callie's worries start to fade away, and for that she was grateful. It seemed that whenever she was around the blonde, nothing else mattered, and she was content for a rare occasion. Arizona did things to Callie that she couldn't understand, but she didn't mind at all.

"Do you go to parties a lot?" Callie asked, sipping from her drink, wincing at the burn of the vodka.

She watched the blonde on the couch relax more, running her fingers along Callie's thigh, "Actually no, most weekends I'm focused on studying and finishing homework, but I don't have much, so I figured I could go out for a night."

"We never quite did finish studying for chemistry though, did we?" The brunette laughed, loving the way Arizona's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and arousal at the memory.

"I can always study tomorrow by myself," She countered, an all too familiar smirk forming on her mouth, "When I'm with you I would _much rather_ kiss those lips."

Callie felt her own cheeks begin to heat up as Arizona's eyes burned holes into her own. God, she was so hot. How was that even possible? The brunette held in a groan, watching as Arizona's legs crossed over one another, muscles flexing and contracting beneath sun kissed skin. The sight almost had her in a puddle.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" Callie murmured, seeing Arizona shake her head dazedly, she continued, "Well, you look absolutely breathtaking, not to mention so, _so_ hot."

The brunette felt warmth fill her at the smile on Arizona's mouth, it was smug and sexy, like she knew what her short skirt was doing to Callie. Oh, and it filled Arizona with _such_ a satisfaction knowing the brunette was hot and bothered because of her.

"You have no idea how nice your legs look," Callie whispered, copying Arizona and running her hand along the blonde's toned thigh. The skin was silky smooth and so incredibly soft, nothing like Callie had ever felt before. Softer than velvet.

 _I'm sure they would look better around your head_ , Arizona commented in her mind, not courageous or drunk enough to say it aloud.

She also didn't want to pressure Callie into sex or anything of the sort. They had implied that they were still testing the waters between them and taking it slow, and sex would be the complete opposite of both. Arizona would wait until Callie was ready, she would wait for the perfect moment. And at a party with hundreds of their peers was not that moment.

"Are you okay?" Callie said, bringing the blonde back from her thoughts, "You drifted away from me for a second there."

"Yeah, I'm good, I was just thinking about...us."

"Oh?" Callie raised an eyebrow, pushing Arizona to elaborate.

"I, uh, I want you to know that I'm serious about this," The blonde fiddled nervously with her cup, cursing her inability to express her feelings with the correct words, "This isn't just another fling to me, it never was, and at first that scared me - it still does - because I've never done _serious_ before. But...but I want to try with you, I really do. And I, I'm," Arizona looked up at Callie once more, feeling stupid at the confused look on her face, "I'm not good with words, I'm sorry."

"No, no, no," Callie rushed out, lifting the blonde's chin with her forefinger and thumb, "I understand what you're saying, and I know that you're serious about this. I am too, and I hope that after tonight we can go out on a proper date. One that doesn't involve alcohol and loud music and our entire grade."

"A date," Arizona smiled, grabbing the hand Callie had on her face, and locking their fingers together, "I like the sound of that."

The brunette smiled widely, ecstatic that Arizona agreed to the proposition. She couldn't wait to tell Mark that she was going on a date for the first time in what felt like forever.

Callie leaned in to kiss Arizona lips softly, their mouths moving tenderly together to create a beautiful rhythm. The hand Arizona was still clasping came to cup her cheek as the kiss deepened and world ceased spinning. It was just them in that moment. And as the minutes passed it remained that way, until loud cheering and yelling popped their pretty, pink bubble.

They both laughed, breathless as the music was turned up even louder, the ground almost vibrating from the bass.

Still resting their foreheads together, Arizona asked, "Do you wanna dance?"

After that kiss Callie's inhibitions were out the window, and she found herself wanting to find out how it felt to have Arizona dance against her, "I would love to."

Downing the rest of her drink, Callie pulled the blonde up from the couch, dragging her out of the room and to the makeshift dance floor.

* * *

Arizona was unsure of how many minutes had passed or what time it was, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the hot brunette currently grinding into her as a remix pounded from the speakers around them.

Her hands were resting on Callie's hips pulling them forward and into her own as their bodies grinded and moved, sweat beading on their foreheads. It was crowded and cramped, but that only gave Arizona more of a reason to pull Callie as close as she could get.

The blonde's lips were attached to Callie's neck; as they had been for the past two songs. She didn't care about leaving marks or love bites, and it seemed neither did Callie. After taking multiple breaks to grabs drinks and cool off, Arizona found that tipsy Callie was very handsy, but she didn't mind, she actually enjoyed it greatly. Probably explained why the blonde hadn't said a thing about the strong hands groping her ass and the back of her thighs.

"You're so fucking sexy," Arizona groaned into Callie's neck, nipping at the tanned skin until she heard a moan escape the brunette's lips.

"Hey!" Both of the girls looked up in the direction they heard the call, glaring when they saw it was just Teddy, "If you guys wanna have sex, why don't you do it upstairs, without clothes, away from prying eyes? Hmm? At least April and I have the decency to hump each other behind closed doors."

Arizona grunted in annoyance, stopping her and Callie's grinding, "We don't want to have sex, can't you just let us dance?"

Teddy raised an eyebrow and laughed, "You call that dancing?"

Arizona growled in frustration and pulled Callie's hips back into her own, wanting to resume the steamy session they had going, "Go away, Theodora."

The blonde didn't wait for a response before latching her mouth back onto Callie's neck, making the girl whimper and grip her ass once more.

"I actually came to find you for a reason," Teddy yelled over the music, "April, Amelia, and I are going to her room to smoke, Amy wants to know if you wanna come with?"

Arizona met Callie's eyes, "You wanna go?"

"I don't smoke, but I could use a break."

The blonde nodded, "Okay, we'll be there in a minute, we're gonna grab drinks first."

* * *

"Wait, wait, you remember that time your mom caught us in the kitchen, oh god, that was hilarious," Teddy said, bursting into a fit of laughter and Amelia following soon after. Both of their brain to mouth filters were basically non-existent after smoking two blunts.

April simply stared at her girlfriend, who was high as a kite, unapproving of her comment, "Teddy, that wasn't funny, it was mortifying. I was grounded for weeks and we couldn't see each other. My mom made me scrub the kitchen top to bottom while lecturing me on my inappropriate behavior!"

At April's little rant Arizona couldn't help but start laughing as well, both she and Callie were drunk and sitting at the head of Amelia's bed, Arizona between Callie's legs.

"April, I-I can just see your mom's face," Arizona slurred slightly, giggling harder at the mental picture. She was drunk but didn't care one bit, Arizona was just happy to be there with her friends and Callie.

"Yeah, well she couldn't see mine, it was buried between Teddy's thighs," April grumbled, blushing furiously, throwing a glare at everyone on the bed.

"Ugh, TMI, April," Amelia complained, taking another drag of the blunt she was holding. Being the only straight one in their group of friends, Amelia had long ago learned to just brush off their comments about sex. She even recalled Arizona asking her to fuck one time, to which she politely turned down. It was flattering for her to ask though.

"Yeah, okay, Amelia, like you haven't watched lesbian porn," Teddy accused, taking the joint back from the girl. She _knew_ Amelia wasn't as innocent as she seemed.

"Ya got me there," Amelia grinned in surrender, fist bumping the blonde on her victory. She wouldn't admit it out loud but lesbian porn was kinda hot, and she had watched it more than a few times. She was very familiar with the saying that spaghetti was straight until it got hot and wet. Yeah...she could relate.

"You're awfully quiet, Calliope," Arizona whispered, lifting her head from Callie's shoulder, and looking back at her.

"I'm just happy," Callie slurred into the silkiness of Arizona's hair, her words making the blonde's heart flutter. She walk drunk and sleepy and completely infatuated with Calliope. Not to mention she served as a great pillow.

* * *

After hours of hanging out in Amelia's room, smoking and drinking, Teddy, April, Arizona, and Callie decided it was time to head out.

Callie and Arizona had trouble getting out of Amelia's bed, both almost too inebriated to stand up straight. Eventually, using each other they regained their balanced and gave thankful albeit mumbled goodbyes to Amelia.

April took Teddy's hand to help guide her, and nodded to Amelia, "See you on Monday, Amy. Thanks for the party."

Amelia looked up, holding up her drink, in a cheers to April, "Thanks for coming, see you all at school!"

The four girls left the brunette's house, the party still in full swing despite it being close to one in the morning. Callie had to admit that was one of the best nights she'd ever experienced. Arizona was right in saying that no one would judge them or stare, and they didn't. Callie didn't have to worry about anything and instead she could enjoy her time with Arizona and get drunk without fearing she would make any mistakes.

As they all got into April's car, Teddy, still high, was laughing loudly about a joke she had mumbled on their way out, and Callie and Arizona huddled in the back seat, clinging to each other. Arizona noted in her head that the brunette was a cuddly drunk, just like she was.

Looking around at her friends, April had to ask herself why she was hanging with people that were so strange. Her girlfriend was the occasional pothead, but she loved her more than anything and wouldn't trade her for the world. And the same went for Arizona she was an amazing friend, but a unique character.

The redhead huffed, putting the key into the ignition, silently praying to God that for the next party she wouldn't have to be the designated driver.

"April?"

"Yes, Arizona?"

"Callie's gonna come home with me, okay?"

"Please." Callie chirped.

"That's not good idea but whatever," April mumbled under her breath. She thought of bringing up the fact that Arizona's mother would be home, although sleeping, but decided against it. If Callie and Arizona's wanted to go to the blonde's house, that is where she would take them.

* * *

Arizona and Callie helped one another stumble out of April's car, laughing, as they made their way through the front door. Tripping over their own feet and talking loudly.

"Shh," The blonde said, placing a hand over Callie's mouth, "we-we have to be quiet, my mom is _sleeping_ ," Arizona was so beyond drunk at this point that she didn't realize how stupid she was being, coming home, wasted, with a girl.

Callie nodded in understanding, taking the other girl's hand and leading her further inside. They tried and failed to be quiet at going up the stairs to Arizona's room, and in the deepest part of the blonde's subconscious she prayed that her mother wasn't hearing them. Barbara was a heavy sleeper, or maybe she was just pretending she couldn't hear them, either way Arizona was grateful they weren't caught.

They quickly made their way to Arizona's bed, both starting to feel groggy as the pleasurable rush of the alcohol they consumed wore away.

Arizona was the first to kick off her shoes and fall under the covers, ushering Callie to come over too, "Come here, Calliope, let's sleep."

Callie couldn't help but gush at hearing Arizona call her by her full name, her heart swelling in adoration for the other girl. The brunette climbed into bed, shedding her own boots, before letting Arizona pull her into her arms.

The blonde began to play with Callie's hair, smiling when she heard a sigh of content leave the other girl's mouth. Over the past two days she learned that Callie loved having her hair played with, and Arizona was glad because she loved doing so.

They laid like that for a bit, just taking each other in and enjoying the rest of their night. Callie wished they could be lay like that for eternity. It could've been the alcohol but Callie could proudly say that Arizona was one of the best things to ever happen to her.

As sleep came to them both, they shared the mutual thought they wouldn't give the other up for the world.


	6. Chapter 6: you keep me warm

As Arizona awoke she groaned, the light filtering in through her curtains causing a wicked headache. Her eyes blinked heavily adjusting to the brightness, and her tongue moved, trying to moisten her dry mouth.

The blonde barely noticed the warm body that was draped over her own, until she tried to turn over onto her side. It took a minute for her brain to comprehend the situation before her eyes went wide and her heart began beating faster. _Shit_ , her and Callie came home last night drunk and passed out in her bed. Arizona prayed that her mom hadn't heard them, as they weren't quiet...at all.

Looking at her alarm clock, the blonde realized that is was past ten in the morning, and that meant her mother was awake. It wasn't until then that Arizona took note of the two glasses of water and a bottle of aspirin on her bedside table. Well, fuck. There go her plans of trying to sneak Callie out and cover up her own hangover.

Deciding it was best to wake the brunette now, she brushed Callie's messy hair back from her face, running her fingers along her cheek, "Calliope," She murmured, "wake up."

Arizona suppressed a giggle when Callie continued to sleep like a rock. Adoration filling her at how calm and innocent the brunette looked as she slept soundly. She hated having to wake her up.

"Callie," The blonde tried again, louder this time. She tapped Callie's nose in hopes of receiving some kind of reaction, but it only twitched in response. Arizona thought the action was one of the cutest things she had ever seen, and let out a tiny 'aw'.

Maybe she shouldn't wake up Callie, it would be more than entertaining to watch her sleep. Although...that might be the littlest bit creepy.

Deciding against it, Arizona pinched the brunette's hip, pleased when Callie woke with a yelp.

"What? Why-why'd you pinch me?" The rough tone of Callie's voice sent shivers down the blonde's spine. She could definitely get used to sleepy Calliope.

"We may have crashed at my place last night… _Oh_ , and my mom knows," Arizona finished with a tiny, dimpled smile, loving the way Callie's face scrunched up in confusion.

"First of all, don't talk so loud, my head hurts, and second, what do you mean your mom _knows_?" Callie groaned, hiding her head in Arizona's neck in order to shield her sensitive eyes from the sun. God, hangovers sucked.

"She left us water and aspirin, and I'm pretty sure I smell bacon cooking, so…" The blonde trailed off, the scent of food making her stomach roll and grumble at the same time. Perhaps eating would settle it.

"How are you not dying?" Callie asked, trying to ignore the fierce pounding in her head and the nausea taking over her senses.

Arizona shrugged, jostling the brunette slightly, to which she moaned, "Sorry, and I've done this many times before. Once you take something for your headache and eat, you'll feel a thousand times better."

Callie nodded, still not ready to get up quite yet, she was exhausted, albeit getting a good night's sleep. She could lie there in Arizona's arms for the rest of the day she was _that_ comfortable.

"I'm gonna go downstairs and talk to my mom. I'll bring some food up for us, okay?" The blonde asked, wiggling out from underneath Callie, "And take an aspirin."

"Yes, ma'am," She responded, peeking one eye open, and cracking a smile, "Be fast."

"I will," Arizona quickly took a pill and had a few gulps of her water before searching for a change of clothes. She was still wearing the skirt and top from the previous night, and she was eager to get out of them.

Finding a pair of pajamas for Callie she threw them on the bed, "You can change if you want." Arizona hoped she would, because the thought of seeing the brunette in her clothes made her giddy and proud, like Callie was hers.

* * *

After changing and freshening up in the bathroom, Arizona ventured down the stairs, following the smell of food to the kitchen. She saw her mom standing at the stove, "Good morning." Hopefully, if she played it cool, her mom wouldn't make her and Callie coming home drunk a big deal.

"I'm surprised you're up before twelve," Barbara said smoothly, "Don't you need to sleep off that _hangover_?"

Arizona winced at her mother's tone, her wishes of keeping the situation trivial flying out the window, "I'm sorry, I-uh, I'm sorry?" The blonde was unsure of what to say to her mother, as this was the first time she was caught drinking. Arizona silently cursed April for driving her and Callie home last night. They should've crashed at Teddy's instead as her parents were away on a business trip.

"Now, I'm not naive, and I know I can't stop you from drinking, but what made you think it was okay to come home in the early hours of the morning _with a girl_?" The tone of her mother's voice was one she had only heard a few times before, like when she ditched school, or that time she was caught having sex. It was _the_ tone. The one her mother used when she was upset and angry.

"We didn't do anything! We went right to bed, I swear," Arizona defended, hoping to win herself some brownie points.

"It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do, it matters that you were both drunk when you entered my house. Arizona, that is not something that I will condone under my roof," Barbara said stiffly, "I can't stop you from drinking, but you could at least be courteous enough not to let me _know_ you do so."

"Yes, ma'am, I apologize, it won't happen again," Arizona said sincerely, adopting a serious tone, and using the polite words her father once taught her. Some might find it weird to refer to their parents as 'ma'am' and 'sir', but in the Robbins' household respect was always the most important.

"Thank you, now come here and give me a hug," Barbara said happily, her demeanor becoming slack once again.

 _Oh_ , Arizona loved her mom to death. She knew how to discipline and when to put her foot down, but the majority of the time she was relaxed and went with the flow of things. She was the best mother the blonde could ever ask for. Although Daniel was away in Afghanistan along with Timothy, Barbara found a way to stay strong and raise Arizona in the best way possible. And for that she would be forever grateful.

Pulling away from her mother's embrace, Arizona eyed the stove, "Is that for me and Callie?"

"Yes it is," Barbara smiled, plating the eggs and bacon, before handing the dishes to Arizona, "Remember to hydrate and get more rest, I love you."

She smiled at her mom's concern, and quickly kissed her cheek, "Love you too, thank you for breakfast!"

* * *

Making it back up to her room, Arizona smiled when she saw Callie sitting on her bed in an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. She looked absolutely adorable in the blonde's clothing.

"I was right, my mom made us breakfast. Bon appetìt," Arizona smiled, as she sat down next to the brunette, giving her a plate and fork.

"What did your mom say about...us?" Callie asked, taking the dishware, and sitting up more comfortably.

"Well, she was a little - _oh my god_!" The blonde exclaimed, catching sight of Callie's neck. There were purple marks maring the normally flawless skin, a few teeth marks around where her shoulder began. They were unmistakably hickies, and no doubt from Arizona, "What did I do to you?"

Callie tried to glance down at her neck, but she couldn't see, so she set her plate down and walked to the mirror attached to the bureau. Her eyes widened at the sight, her fingers dancing over the bruises, "Jesus, Arizona."

These hickies _would not_ be easy to cover, god dammit. The thought thrilled yet concerned Callie at the same time. No matter how hot it was that Arizona marked her, she was worried about people seeing. It looked like she would be wearing scarves the for the next week.

"I'm so sorry. I was drunk and we were dancing," Arizona tried not to shiver at the thought, the memory of Callie's body grinding against her own was a lot to handle. Just thinking about it made her horny.

"No, it's okay, I just - how can I cover them?" The brunette questioned, returning to Arizona's bed and sitting down. Her hand was unconsciously pulling at her t-shirt in a sad attempt at covering the marks.

"Foundation, and if that fails then scarves?"

Callie couldn't help but laugh at the situation, "You really have no self control when you're drunk."

Arizona scoffed, before rushing to defend herself, "I don't think anyone would if you were dancing against them like that," The blonde huffed quietly and grumbled, "and I'm a horny drunk."

Although Callie didn't think she was meant to hear the last part, she still giggled, kissing the pout off of Arizona's lips, "You're cute."

"I don't feel too cute right now," Arizona muttered grumpily, a blush staining her cheeks.

Callie rolled her eyes as a smirk played against her lips, "So what did your mom say?"

* * *

After finishing their breakfast, Callie realized that she had to go. She still had homework to finish as well as tests to study for. Although she didn't want to leave, she had to.

As Arizona led Callie to the front door Barbara peeked out of the kitchen, "Good morning, Calliope."

The brunette flushed in embarrassment, "Good morning, Mrs. Robbins, and please call me Callie."

"Only if you call me Barbara, dear," She countered, making Callie chuckle, and nod in agreement.

"That's a deal I can make. Thank you for having me over and I'm sorry if I disturbed you at all last night," She apologized, trying and failing at meeting Arizona's mom's eyes.

"Not a worry, Callie. Please come over again sometime soon."

The brunette smiled at Barbara's hospitality. She really was one of the sweetest women Callie had ever met, "I will."

* * *

Pulling up in front of Callie's house, they turned to each other, sad at the prospect of having to part.

"I had a great time last night," Callie said, her fingers dancing across the hand Arizona had on the center console.

"So did I. I'm so happy you decided to come with me," The blonde grinned, leaning forward to place a parting kiss on Callie's mouth, "And I can't wait for our date."

She couldn't help but kiss Arizona again, the feeling never ceasing to cause butterflies to erupt in her stomach, "I'll call you to talk about the details?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Okay, see you soon," Callie said, getting out of the car, smiling at the blonde.

"Bye, Calliope," She couldn't help but sigh at the sight of Callie walking up her driveway still in her pajamas. She would rather Callie keep them, it was nice knowing the brunette had a piece of her.

* * *

Callie quietly walked into her house, hoping and praying her parents were already at work so she could avoid an argument about not coming home last night. She made it to the stairs, thinking that she may actually be home free, but then a strong voice bellowed behind her.

"Calliope Iphegenia Torres, where were you last night?"

Callie huffed in defeat at getting caught, her feet shuffling her over so she stood in front of her father.

"I told you, I went out with friends," The brunette tried her best to be firm and not get too angry, she wanted to end this conversation as soon as she could. Callie couldn't understand why her father had taken sudden interest into what she did with her life.

"Mija, you stayed out all night, and I was completely unaware of what you were doing or who you were with. And on top of that you missed Mass this morning," Carlos searched his daughter's face, desperately trying to find some familiar aspect, but he realized that she changed over the years. She wasn't the little girl he remembered anymore.

As he continued to scan her face in search of answers, his eyes wandered to her neck, spotting the obvious bruising there.

Callie saw her father's eyes widen, and she quickly put her hands on her neck, trying to cover what had already been seen.

"Calliope, were you with a boy last night?" Carlos was outraged by now, his voice raised and his fists shaking lightly. His little girl was out last night with a boy partaking in acts no father wanted to think about in relation to their daughter.

"That is _none_ of your business. You haven't given a damn towards my well being since I was five, so why start now? And don't even try to discipline me, you no longer have any right to," Callie shared a heated stare with her father, spitting out, "I have homework," before marching over to the stairs and making her way to her bedroom, without ever once looking back.

Carlos stood there stunned as he watched her leave, unable to speak, surprised by his daughter's words. For the first time he realized that Callie was right, he never showed that he cared and he had no right to try to do it now. Carlos was too late.

* * *

The brunette sat at her desk trying to do her homework, but she couldn't focus. Between the fight she had with her father and the still lingering hangover, she wasn't getting anywhere.

Her mind was beginning to wander to last night, the events unraveling, becoming less, less blurry the more she thought. And the more they became clear the more she thought about Arizona and the moments they shared.

She remembered, the dancing; how close they were to each other. The heat that was pouring off their bodies, the way Arizona was grinding on her. The brunette shivered, remembering how the blonde couldn't keep her hands off of her. How her soft lips felt against her skin.

Callie let her hands wander to the hickies on her neck, her fingers tracing the dark spots. Although she was anxious that she wouldn't be able to hide them, she also felt an unabashed rush of excitement at knowing Arizona had branded her.

She recollected how great it felt to wake up to Arizona's face that morning, how she didn't ever want to move or leave her company. Every moment spent without Arizona was empty and dull, missing the sunshine that always radiated off of the blonde with ease.

Without even comprehending it, Callie found herself reaching for her phone and calling the blonde's number.

The phone rang for a few moments before the voice that never ceased to give her butterflies came through the speaker.

"Hey, Calliope, what's up?"

"Uh, nothing, just doing homework…" There was a long pause, Callie unsure of why she called in the first place.

"...I missed you," It came out as a whisper, and Callie suddenly felt embarrassed. Was she being too clingy? It had only been a few hours since they had been together, and they _would_ see each other tomorrow. God, it had only been a few weeks since they became acquainted and she was already so whipped.

Arizona giggled on the other end.

"Are you laughing at me?" Callie asked in disbelief, a shameful blush lighting up her cheeks.

"No, _no_ , I missed you too," The genuinity of Arizona's statement helped cool the fire building on the brunette's cheekbones, and she let out a relieved breath at the fact that Arizona didn't think she was being too clingy, "And since you called, maybe we can plan a day for our date?"

"I'm free any day after school, so whatever works for you."

"How about Wednesday night? There's an event happening in town, I think it'd be fun if we went together," The blonde said, a hint of secrecy in her tone.

"And what would this event be?" Callie asked, her stomach jumping with excitement. This would be their first real, real date, since the party hadn't counted. It would just be them this time, enjoying one another's company. They could spend time getting to know each other better and be together without the aid of alcohol.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," They both laughed at that, "I'll pick you up at 7, and you can just dress casual."

"Okay, sounds like a plan, I'm looking forward to it," The brunette said, trying to contain her giddiness, she couldn't wait until Wednesday. Not just because she would be seeing Arizona - well mostly that - but also to see what the big surprise venue was.

"Me too," Arizona agreed, a large smile plastered to her face just like the brunette.

"So, what are you doing?" Callie asked wanting to keep the conversation going, She spun back and forth on her desk chair, a nervous habit of hers.

"Studying for the chem test we have tomorrow," She could almost hear the smirk on Arizona's face, the on running joke between them about how they never got to finish studying Friday afternoon.

"You better get at least a B or all of my hard work will be for nothing," Callie quipped, grinning as she heard the blonde scoff in mock hurt.

"You have such little faith in me, Calliope, my ego's wounded."

"I think you'll survive."

There was a soft sigh on the other end of the line, "Well, I should really continue studying. If I don't get an A my tutor is going to kick my ass."

"Damn right I will," Callie giggled, a bright smile working its way into her lips. Just talking to Arizona made her bad mood disappear, the argument with her dad almost forgotten.

"I have no doubts. Goodbye, Calliope," The blonde singsonged.

Callie sighed as her name rolled off of Arizona tongue, it had never sounded so good, "Goodbye."


	7. Chapter 7: i am thinking of you

The sound of the final bell rung through the classroom, making Callie jump in excitement. She quickly shoved her binder into her backpack in a rush to to get to the softball field.

She had decided she wanted to surprise Arizona at practice today, and plus there was no better way to spend her afternoon than watching the blonde play ball in very tight, very sexy pants. And she wasn't due to go to Mark's house until five, so Callie had more than enough time.

Walking out to the field, Callie saw it was empty - but that would change in a few minutes - other than a redhead sitting on the nearby bleachers.

Approaching the metals seats, Callie saw April texting on her phone, "Hey," She said, plopping down next to the girl.

Callie shivered lightly at the coolness of the aluminum against her, fall was fast approaching and a constant chill lingered in the air.

"Hey," April said cheerfully, putting her phone into her coat pocket, "you here for Arizona?"

Callie's cheeks reddened and it wasn't because of the cold wind, "Uh, yeah, I thought I'd surprise her."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, I come to watch Teddy all the time, she really appreciates it," This time April was the one to blush and Callie had an inkling as to why. If there was one thing she learned within the last few days, it was that April and Teddy had _a lot_ of sex.

"I'm sure she does," Callie teased, perking up when players began filing out on the diamond. She kept her eyes peeled for blonde hair and a jersey with the number fifteen on it.

Eventually Callie heard that heavenly giggle seconds before the person it belonged to made an appearance, Teddy right by her side. Arizona had her head thrown back in laughter, those beautiful dimples of hers popping.

The brunette saw Teddy glance towards her, a grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat's spreading across her lips as she hip checked Arizona and whispered something to her. Soon enough ice blue eyes met brown and the glorious smile of Arizona's became even brighter.

Sneaking a peek at her coach, only to see her occupied, the blonde decided to jog over to the chain link fence that separated the field and the stands, "Calliope, what are you doing here?"

The girl in question hopped up from her seat and met Arizona at the metal barrier, "Am I not allowed to watch you play?" Callie questioned, though it was clear she was joking by her teasing tone.

"Of course you can," Arizona protested, linking her fingers over the ones Callie had hooked in the holes of the fence, "I'm just surprised is all."

"I hope it's the good kind of surprised?"

The blonde giggled and nodded her head enthusiastically, "Definitely the good kind." There was nothing better than seeing Calliope after a long, stressful day. She instantly brightened Arizona's mood, no matter how dreary it was.

The brunette was about to say more when the blowing of a whistle cut her off, signaling the start of practice. They exchanged a parting smile before Arizona stalked up to the pitching mound, almost immediately getting into her game mode.

There was no doubt in the world that witnessing Arizona in her element was the hottest thing Callie had ever seen.

* * *

The brunette had been captivated the entire practice, watching Arizona move and play with ease. She entered this zone where all she was focused on was the game, and she proceeded to throw pitch after amazing pitch.

After a few hours practice came to an end and Teddy and Arizona grabbed their things from the dugout before making their way to the bleachers.

April jumped up from the stands faster than humanly possible, pulling her girlfriend into a rough kiss and mumbling - what Callie believed was - "God, you're so hot."

Arizona simply laughed at the two's antics, obviously used to it, and sat next to Callie, "Did you enjoy watching?"

"For sure. I definitely have a better view sitting over here," Callie said. It took her a few seconds to realize what just came out of her mouth, and she began to blush furiously, "I-uh, I didn't mean to say that."

"You watched me everyday?" Arizona questioned as her heart swelled in adoration. The fact that Callie watched her play even before they became well acquainted made her feel a certain way.

"Would you be weirded out if I said yes?" The brunette muttered, suddenly finding the zipper on her jacket interesting. If she was being honest; she felt like a creeper. What kind of person obsessed over a stranger playing a sport almost every day? Apparently her.

The way Callie was looking down shyly pulled at Arizona's heart strings, and she lifted the girl's chin with her finger, "Not at all, Calliope, I find it adorable."

The bashful smile the blonde received was enough to make anyone's day ten times brighter. It made Arizona wonder if Callie knew how truly stunning she was.

"And you're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"No, I promise."

They held each other's gazes as emotions ran rampant across their eyes. Happiness, contentedness, desire. The brunette felt a strong need to kiss Arizona, but she didn't have the guts. Not with so many other people around. The softball team still had yet to clear the field and other teams were practicing on their selective turfs. Callie was not one for pda, the only instances that told otherwise was when alcohol was lowering her inhibitions or Arizona initiated it.

Their trance was ended by a loud moan, and they looked towards the couple in question. April was pinned against the aluminum barrier as Teddy was practically swallowing her.

"Uh," Callie winced averting her gaze from the passionate embrace, "do they do that everyday?"

"Pretty much," Arizona quipped, unfazed. She turned back to Callie, dimples on display, and grabbed her hand, "Jesus, you're cold."

The brunette almost swooned as Arizona brought her hand to her mouth to kiss it gently, before blowing warm air on her fingers, "Yeah."

Callie was practically speechless at the tenderness Arizona expelled towards her. She was so amazing it was unbelievable, and the brunette felt like one of the luckiest people alive. She felt so deeply towards Arizona and that only seemed to be growing stronger and stronger each day.

"I was wondering, if you aren't doing anything tonight, if you'd wanna come over and do homework together," Arizona smirked, leaning closer, "Maybe even _study_ a bit?"

Callie felt heat rush through her at the blonde's offer and was so close to saying yes, until she remembered she already had plans, "I want to say yes so badly, but I'm going over my friend Mark's."

Arizona deflated a little at that, her bottom lip jutting out into a small pout, "Well, that sucks…does Mark go to our school? I don't think I know a Mark."

"He went to school with us up until this year, he moved over the summer and switched to a private school," Callie explained, although she knew Arizona had probably spoken with Mark before. They were both in the more popular crowd, "It's Mark Sloan."

"Oh," Arizona chirped, suddenly remembering who he was, " _Oh,_ he uh, he's...interesting?"

Callie laughed at her attempt at a compliment, "He asked you to have sex with him, didn't he?" She wouldn't be surprised, Mark was that type of person. He even tried to woo Callie in the beginning of their relationship until he realized the brunette saw him as _only_ a friend.

"Yes, on many separate occasions," Arizona deadpanned, her eyebrows scrunching up adorably as she thought, "I don't think he ever figured out I was gay."

Callie laughed loudly at that, scooching closer to Arizona and snuggling into her side to hide from the cold, "My poor baby, I'll have to slap him upside the head when I see him later."

The blonde smiled, "There's no need for that, he only touched my butt once, and I made sure to hit him pretty hard for it."

"He did what?" Callie asked incredulously, suddenly becoming rigid.

"It's no big deal, he said sorry."

"But he touched your ass! That's mine."

"Yours?" The blonde asked, raising an eyebrow. She wouldn't tell Callie, but that comment made her body flood with arousal.

The other girl turned her head down sheepishly, "Well, I don't like to think about other people touching my girlfr-, I uh, I mean _your_ butt."

Arizona's heart leapt at Callie's slip. _Was_ she the brunette's girlfriend? Did Callie think of her that way? Was it too soon to put labels on things? Although she didn't know the answer to those questions, the blonde _did_ know that she wanted to be Callie's girlfriend. She wanted them to be exclusive, not that they weren't already, "Girlfriend? Do-do you want me to be your girlfriend?"

"I-Well, yeah, of course I do," Callie confessed quietly, meeting Arizona's intense gaze, "But, isn't it a little soon? We haven't been on a real date yet, and-and my parents don't even know I'm bi."

"Well, we are going on a date tomorrow night, and I don't know about you, but I think we're pretty exclusive at this point. And about your parents; coming out takes time, you need to wait until you feel comfortable. Do you think you're ready to tell them?" Arizona asked sincerely, surprising Callie with her response. She expected the blonde to be angry with her, maybe yell a little, not to be understanding.

"I think so. And I want to tell them, but I'm terrified. My parents are really religious, 'if you're gay, you're going to hell' kind of religious, so I'm worried how they'll react. I don't want them to hate me," Callie admitted, resenting the tears that burned at the corner of her eyes.

"If you do decide to tell them, just know that your _girlfriend_ is here for you, and you have a stable support system to fall back on. Between me, Mark, Teddy, and April it'll be like you have a second family. A family who cares about you a lot and accepts you no matter what."

Callie could cry at how caring and supportive Arizona was being, not to mention the fact that the blonde wanted them to be girlfriends. She felt like she was on top of the world at the moment and could do anything, "Thank you for being amazing, Arizona."

* * *

An hour later found Callie sitting at Mark's kitchen table as they worked on their homework, making idle chit chat. It had been a week since they last hung out and they had a lot to catch up on.

"So," Callie began nonchalantly, continuing to write notes from her history textbook, "I have a date tomorrow night."

Mark practically fell out of his chair at that, his head snapping up as he gazed on in surprise, "A date? With who?"

"Remember how I mentioned that crush I had on Arizona, yeah well things have... _progressed,_ and she asked me out," The brunette explained, not able to keep a smile off her face. Just thinking of Arizona made her instantly happy.

"That's amazing, Cal," Mark exclaimed, it had been months and months since Callie last showed interest in someone - that someone being Erica - and let alone wanted to date them. Mark couldn't be happier for his best friend, as it seemed she was ecstatic as well. He knew Arizona by association, and Mark wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't shocked at the pairing. Arizona never seemed to be the type to _settle down_. She was more of a lady killer than he was, "So...Arizona Robbins?"

"Don't say what I think you're going to say," Callie groaned, knowing that Mark was going to comment about how much of a player Arizona was, "We've talked about what's happening between us, and we came to a mutual understanding that it's exclusive. Arizona cares about me and she's made that clear."

"I'm just saying, once a player, always a player. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I know, Mark, but please trust my judgement. Arizona isn't like that, and you out of everyone should understand," Callie paused in thought, "Lexie changed you, didn't she? You've been together for over a year and you love each other."

"You don't need to defend yourself to me, Cal. If you think that Arizona is good person then I believe you," Mark said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Alright, thank you. And if it changes anything; she makes me really, really happy," The brunette sighed, thinking of all the times Arizona made her laugh, and how she would smile at anything and everything the blonde did. She was whipped but it felt amazing.

"I can tell, you haven't smiled this much for as long as I can remember," Mark chuckled. And he was right, she was smiling a whole lot more now because of Arizona.

* * *

 _You got this Robbins, don't fuck up,_ Arizona chastised in her head as she climbed the stairs of Callie's front porch. The large double doors that stood in front of her looked a lot more intimidating than she remembered.

Fuck, why was she so nervous? It was only Calliope.

Oh, there was the problem. _It was Calliope_. Beautiful, amazing, breathtaking Calliope. The most spectacular girl Arizona had ever had the pleasure of meeting. And they were going on a _date_. The first date the blonde had been on in months. She wouldn't deny the fact, but Arizona had lost some of her flair when it came to courting. Sure she was charming and polite but, shit, she was so nervous she could cry.

 _Do it_ , Arizona chastised, her fingers pressing on the fancy doorbell. She could hear the chiming from outside and she patiently waited for someone to answer, her hands fumbling anxiously with the flowers she was holding.

Suddenly the the door was pulled open, a stoic man standing there, his face set in a scowl. Arizona was going to introduce herself, assuming he was Callie's father, but she heard the girl in question call out from further within the house, "I got it, Papá!"

Carlos raised an eyebrow at Arizona, his eyes darting down to the red roses she was holding and then returning to her face. The blonde smiled sheepishly, feeling small under his scrutinizing stare.

"Papá, salir, lo tengo!" Callie snapped, sending a sharp glare to Carlos, who finally conceded and walked away.

Turning back to her date, the brunette smiled as she took in her attire. The simple skinny jeans and flannel Arizona was wearing still made her look unbelievably attractive and Callie's mouth watered at the sight, "Hey."

"Hey," Arizona squeaked, holding out the flowers in her hand towards Callie, "These are for you."

The brunette gasped in surprise, not noticing until now that Arizona got her flowers. It was a sweet gesture that still made Callie swoon no matter it's simplicity, "Thank you, Arizona. Please, come inside while I go put these in water."

Arizona nodded and watched Callie leave, and not even a minute later she was back, "You ready to head out?" Callie asked excitedly, looking forward to learning where their mystery destination was.

"Yup, and you may wanna bring a jacket, it's gonna get chilly tonight."

* * *

They had only been in the car for a few minutes, but Callie couldn't help but grab Arizona's hand and hold it tightly. Both of them smiling at the contact.

"Sorry about my dad earlier. I hope he didn't freak you out too much," Callie apologized, knowing how intimidating her father could be at times.

"No, it's okay, he didn't even say anything to me...just kinda _studied_ me," Arizona laughed, "Were you speaking in Spanish before?"

"Yeah, my dad's Cuban and my mom is Latina. So I've been speaking Spanish and English ever since I was a baby."

"Wow, that's really cool. I've always wanted to be fluent in another language. My four years of French is far from it," Arizona smiled, her dimples popping as always, as she turned into town.

"You speak French?" Callie asked, unable to help the rush of heat she felt at the thought of Arizona whispering very dirty things to her in the beautiful language.

"Yup, but I'm not very good."

"Oh, please, you're good at everything you do...expect chemistry."

Arizona blushed at that, "You got me there."

Callie was about to answer back but her attention was captured by the traffic they got stuck in and the conductors standing ahead. Recognition sparked in the brunette's eyes, her head snapping towards Arizona in excitement and surprise, "Are we going where I think we're going?"

The blonde revelled in the childlike joy lighting up her girlfriend's face, her chest swelling with pride at her excellent choice of their date destination, "Damn right, how could I not take you to the carnival as a clichè first date?"

Callie laughed, happiness sparking throughout her entire being, "You're the best," She muttered before laying a passion filled kiss on Arizona's lips. _This date was going to be amazing._


	8. Chapter 8: setting fire to our insides

**uhm...im back? (with angst :))))) OK DONT KILL ME BYE - ky**

* * *

"Calliope, come on!" Arizona called over the noise surrounding them - hundreds of other people decided tonight would be the perfect night to come to the carnival, given it wasn't raining for once (it _was_ Seattle after all).

The brunette laughed at her date's excitement, allowing Arizona to pull her along by the hand. Callie wasn't quite sure where she was being led to but she didn't care. She was just happy to be there with Arizona. The carnival wasn't her normal scene, but with Arizona she felt that she could let loose and be herself. She felt comfortable enough with the blonde to do so.

When she realized that she was now standing in front of many prize winning booths, Callie raised her eyebrows at the blonde. Carnival games, not her strong suit. She was about as coordinated as a baby learning how to walk, "I suck at these games, I always have and I probably always will."

Arizona was marveled at the new discovery and tugged her girlfriend closer, "No worries, I'll do all the winning tonight."

They stepped up to the booth before them, one where you had to knock down milk bottles with a baseball, "Show me how it's done, captain," Callie smirked, she knew Arizona had this in the bag - her being the softball team's star pitcher.

"Will do, Calliope."

Handing over money to the concessioner, the pitcher received three balls in return. She let her grip get accustomed to the shape before winding up for a throw. The baseball flew through the air with a woosh, knocking over more than half of the bottles. The only two left were on the bottom row.

Arizona couldn't help but smirk when she saw the booth attending looking the slightest bit shocked. She probably wasn't expecting that.

The blonde once again wound up to throw, easily toppling over the last two objects. She smiled proudly, glancing back at Callie who was grinning just as widely.

"What a badass," The brunette murmured, astonished yet proud (and a little bit horny from watching her girlfriend in her element - minus her uniform and Callie's favorite pair of pants.)

"Mmhm," The blonde hums, leaning in close to her date. She glances down a Callie's cherry red lips, tempted by their softness. Arizona can't help but steal a quick kiss, both content with the display of affection. Arizona pulling away to ask, "Which one do you want?"

There were a plethora of prizes for Callie to choose from, all very large stuffed animals, but only one caught Callie's eye, "How about the bear."

Nodding at the concessioner, Arizona pointed toward the bear, because anything Calliope wanted, she would get for her.

* * *

The couple ended up spending the rest of the night walking around and eating fair food, neither one of them the ride type. They both prefered to instead enjoy the atmosphere minus the attractions. But there was a ride Arizona insisted that they go on - a cliche carnival date ride - the ferris wheel. According to the blonde it was a _must_. So that was where they were now - waiting in line.

"You know...I'm kinda scared of heights," Callie confessed meekly, warm in her place held against Arizona's side, "Especially if I'm on a ride that's probably failed numerous safety protocols for the past few years."

Arizona laughed at Callie's nervousness, unable to help but think how cute she and all of quirks were, "Calm down, we'll be fine, no one's dying are they?"

Callie sighed, "No, but-," Before she could continue she was cut off by the blonde's cold lips on her own - momentarily erasing all thoughts from her head.

Arizona pulled away with a smile, loving the blush that had formed on Callie's cheeks, "No buts, we'll be okay."

"If we die I'm blaming you," Callie grumbled playfully, dragging Arizona forward so they could hand in their tickets and get on the ride.

* * *

Walking hand in hand back to Arizona's car, Callie checked the time on her phone - it was getting late but she wasn't ready for their date to end just yet. This was one of the best night's of her life, coming in close to the night she shared with Arizona, April, and Teddy.

"Uh," Arizona paused, her nerves getting the best of her - which was a very rare occurrence. But whenever she was around Calliope, the blonde felt herself letting her walls down and allowing her emotions to control her actions, "do you wanna go back to my house, and watch a movie or something?"

The pitcher smiled shyly, fidgeting with the brunette fingers as they stopped at her Nissan. She could see the hesitation in Callie's eyes, but it seemed she fell for the fluttering of Arizona's lashes, and gave in.

"I'd love to."

* * *

Twenty minutes later found them sitting closely on the living room couch as Arizona scrolled through the collection of rom-coms on Netflix. Arizona's mom was currently out for drinks with her friends, so they had the house to themselves.

Callie noticed this but she chose not to comment on it for the time being, she didn't think Arizona set it up purposely because she respected Callie's boundaries. She understood that the brunette wasn't the kind to have sex on the first date - and they agreed to take it slow.

Finally deciding on a movie to watch, the blonde hit play, before settling down further into Callie's side. She allowed her head to rest partially in the crook of her girlfriend's neck, inconspicuously breathing in the scent of Callie's perfume and body wash.

As she curled herself around the brunette's arm, she debated on whether or not to acknowledge that her intention wasn't to get Callie into her bed. But then again, she hoped that Callie already knew that.

Deciding it would be better to just say something, Arizona joked, "You know, I didn't invite you over to Netflix and chill or anything."

Callie seemed startled by the break in silence, and she turned towards the blonde, her tone serious, "Arizona, I know. I know you don't want me just for sex...I trust you."

"You trust me?"

"Of course."

Blue eyes locked with brown, a plethora of feelings rushing through both of them, but neither quite able to say something. There was no need to though, as unspoken words were flying between them - their relationship had just grown stronger from the equal trust and respect the girls had for on another.

Wrapping her hand around the back of Arizona's neck, Callie carefully pulled her forward, lips meeting in the middle. They both couldn't help but sigh in pleasure at being so close and so intimate. This kiss was unlike the others they shared - it was passionate and slow and fragile. It made heat rush through Callie's body, but also adoration for her beautiful, amazing girlfriend. And Arizona was high off of the same feelings and sensations.

Their embrace was sadly interrupted by a ringing coming from the blonde's laptop, it seemed to jolt Arizona into reality, as she hopped off the couch to grab the device. With a few clicks and crackle the largest smile Callie had ever seen spread across her girlfriend's face.

"Timmy!"

"Zona!"

"How are you? How's daddy? Is everything okay over there?"

"One question at a time, Z."

Arizona grinned sheepishly, joy alight in her eyes while she spoke to - which Callie now realized - was her brother.

"Sorry, you just haven't called it a while, I'm excited."

"Well, don't worry you can ask all the questions you want, I've got fifteen minutes to spend talking to my sis."

The blonde smiled wider at that, her dimples popping even more, "So, how are you and daddy?"

"Good, missing Momma's cookin', but good. What about you? You're looking chiper," Tim asked, picking up on his sister's good mood, even through a screen. The blonde looked the happiest he had seen her since before he was deployed for Iraq.

"Uh, yeah, I'm great," Arizona said quietly, looking over at Callie, who was watching her interact with her brother, "Really great, Tim. I met someone, I think you'd love her."

"Zona, has someone finally got you whipped?" Timothy said, over exaggerating his surprise, "Are you feeling okay? I think Momma needs to take you to the doctor."

"Shut up!" The blonde exclaimed, blushing uncontrollably when Callie started laughing at her, "Yes, okay, I am a little bit whipped."

"I knew it!"

" _Stop_ ," She whined, covering her face with her hands, as Callie still looked on, her smile filled with fascination at the dynamic Arizona and her brother shared. Her girlfriend had so much _love_ for her family and the other way around as well. It was a foreign concept to Callie, not really having a family of her own to love.

"Tell me about her."

The blonde peaked at her girlfriend again, her eyes alight with mischief, "Why doesn't she just tell you herself? Calliope, come here," She grinned wider as Callie's eyes went wide and she began to shake her head violently, " _Please_?"

"Yeah, _Calliope, please_?" Tim called, imitating his sister's lovestruck tone. Arizona quickly shot a glare at the computer screen, but soon turned her pleading eyes back to Callie. And how could Callie ever say no to her?

"Fine," She grumbled getting up from the couch and walking to Arizona's side, taking the man on the screen. He surprisingly looked identical to his sister, the same blonde hair and blue eyes, and those dimples that could kill. Although, Callie must admit, they looked cuter on her girlfriend.

"Hi, I'm Callie, although your sister insists on calling me Calliope," The brunette laughed, trying not think too much about officially meeting Arizona's brother, a man who clearly means everything to her.

"Zona, how'd you manage to get this one without scaring her away?" Tim laughed appraising Callie the best to his abilities through a camera, "It's nice to meet you, Callie."

The brunette chanced a quick look at Arizona, her grin still wide, but her back tensed with nervous excitement. If the death grip she had on Callie's hand was anything to go by, her brother's opinion of her girlfriend meant to the entire world to her.

"Believe it or not, your sister's pretty good at flirting," Callie responded, nudging the blonde who blushed at the compliment. She doesn't think she's ever seen Arizona so shy and silent.

"Oh, trust me, I know. Zona remember that time Momma caught you and Lauren-"

"That's enough Timothy!" Arizona interjected, practically falling over herself in embarrassment. Her entire face was red as well as her neck and chest. Callie tried not to think too much about the burning in her gut at the thought of Arizona with another girl, let alone having _sex_ with her. The brunette knew she wouldn't be Arizona's first but that didn't make it hurt any less. She would most definitely have to bring that up again another time.

"What? Callie doesn't know about your past discretions?" Tim gasped in mock horror, thoroughly enjoying messing with his little sister in front of her girlfriend.

Before Arizona could respond, distant shouting began filtering through the speakers, Tim's eyes snapping up to look past the screen before him. The background commotion coming from Tim's side of the Skype call grew louder, the sound of helicopter engines overtaking the voices of his fellow soldiers.

Callie saw Tim nod firmly at someone not visible on camera, before frowning sadly, "Sorry, Z, but I have to go, I love you."

"I love you t-," Before Arizona could even finish the call ended, the Skype homepage appearing. The blonde just stared at it for a minute before closing her laptop firmly, fingers coming to pick at lint on her jeans.

"...Are you okay?" Callie asked gently, unsure of how to approach Arizona when she was like this. She'd never seen the blonde looking so dejected and... _sad_. Callie suddenly realized that she'd never seen Arizona without a smile on her face, without her happy, bubbly persona. Arizona hid her sadness over her brother and father being gone so well. She never even spoke about it.

"I, uh," Arizona's voice cracked and she cleared her throat, "Yeah, I'm fine, it just never gets easier to say goodbye."

When Arizona looked up, Callie could see the unshed tears in her unusually dull and red rimmed eyes. It made her heart just about snap in two, and she quickly scooped the blonde into her arms, a hand winding through her hair and massaging her scalp. Arizona didn't resist Callie's embrace, and instead burrowed as far as possible into the girl's neck, trying her hardest to not let her tears fall.

"It's okay, I got you," Callie whispered, placing a kiss on her girlfriend's forehead. And at that, Arizona let the floodgates open, finally let herself cry for the first time in what felt like forever.

* * *

When Callie left that night (after watching a few happy rom coms to cheer Arizona up), she gave the blonde a kiss goodbye with a promise to text her when she got home safely, which she did as soon as she pulled into her driveway and parked.

Unlocking the front door Callie smiled at the " _Sleep tight, Calliope 3_ ," that Arizona sent her. As she walked inside, Callie was surprisingly greeted with her mother and father standing in the foyer, both wearing somber looks.

"What's wrong?" Callie immediately asked, wondering if a relative died or she did something wrong that she wasn't aware of. Her parents didn't normally punish her for anything, which confused Callie even further as to why they were waiting for her to get home.

"Where were you, Calliope?" Her father demanded, frowning deeply, taking a step closer to his daughter.

"I was out, with a friend," Callie answered, not exactly lying, but not telling the truth either. Her parents couldn't know Arizona was her girlfriend, they would disown her for being gay. Damn her to hell. Take her to church and try to pray the gay out of her.

"The woman who was at the door earlier?" Carlos inquired, "The one with the flowers?"

Callie panicked for a second, remembering how her father had opened the door for Arizona, he had obviously seen the roses she bought for her. How could she explain that?

"Yeah, that was Arizona, she got me flowers because she knew..that I, uh, I had a bad day at school."

"Is this..Arizona the same girl you went to that party with, Calliope?"

 _Shit_. _Shit, fuck, shit._

Her dad saw the hickies the morning after the party. He knows. _He knows_.

"Yeah. That's her." The brunette said meekly, scuffing her feet nervously across the floor. If her father's questions weren't bad enough, the scathing glare her mother pegged on her was enough to make her shake.

"Are you seeing this girl romantically, Calliope? Are you a _homosexual_?" Carlos practically spit the word at Callie, disgust written all over his face, and her mother looked like she was about to cry. Callie thought she was about to pass out, the disappointment in her parents eyes made her sick. She felt helpless.

"I-I'm, Daddy, please, it's not a bad thing." Callie pleaded, throat tight with tears and fear. Clammy, shaky hands gripped tightly on her purse, as tears welled in Callie's eyes. She took a step closer to Carlos only to have him back away in disgust.

"Calliope Iphigenia," Carlos bellowed, "You were raised better than this, yet, you go and do this just to spite us. You-you choose to sin. How dare you turn your back on God?"

Callie's cheeks were wet with tears now, her body recoiling into itself as her father's words slapped her across the face. Each a sentence was a dagger to the heart, her chest so tight she could barely breathe let alone utter a word to defend herself.

"You will not practice this disgusting lifestyle, Calliope. Do you hear me?" Carlos yelled, his face red with rage, and his fists clenched tightly.

Callie looked desperately towards her mother, "Mami," She begged, "please." She only received a hurt glare in response. Callie had never seen such a look on her mother's face, it stung so deeply.

"It's not a choice, Daddy," She cried, voice weak, "I didn't choose to be like this," But her words fell upon deaf ears, Carlos wouldn't listen.

"First thing tomorrow we are going to church and you are going to pray to God to forgive you for your sins. Father Kevin will help you repent and listen to your confessions." Her father's words left no room for argument. The decision was final, she didn't have a choice.

"Mami, do you have anything to say to me?" Callie asked, hoping her mother would say anything that showed she still loved her.

"You've disappointed me, Calliope."

Callie's heart really did split in two at those words, a sob tearing it's way from her throat. All she wanted was a hug from Arizona, and for her to tell her things would be alright. But Arizona wasn't here and her parents wouldn't knowingly let Callie see her. She was stuck, alone and misunderstood.

"Go to your room," Carlos said, unable to look into Callie's eyes, unable to even look up from the floor.

Callie listened to his orders, too weak to protest or fight back. She hated her parents, she hated life, and she hated herself the most. How could she have let this happen? Why did she have to born into a family that wouldn't accept nor love her for who she truly was? It was unfair. Life was unfair.

She wanted this to end, she wanted to get the hell out of this house and away from her so called "family". She wanted to go somewhere where she could be herself and not get criticized for it. She couldn't live here any longer.

Callie sent a quick text before packing a bag full of necessities and clothing that would last a week. And then she left through the window, climbing down the trellis fence attached to her house, and driving away.


	9. Chapter 9: i will build a dynasty

Callie awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing, and she reached blindly for her phone (which was _somewhere_ on the couch.) Her stomach immediately dropped when she saw the dozens of missed calls she had from her parents. They knew she left and were probably going to start looking for her. But, she was staying at Mark's; her best friend that her parents were unaware of because they never cared enough to ask about Callie's personal life. The two would never think that she would be staying here, they didn't even know the address.

Last night Callie had arrived are Mark's in tears, ringing the doorbell and falling into his arms when he opened the front door. She was bombarded with questions as to what had happened but Callie couldn't find it in her to stop crying long enough and tell Mark what had happened. Instead, he just held her as she cried herself into exhaustion, eventually falling asleep.

Callie knew that Mark would be expecting answers now, and as painful as it would be to talk about it, she had to relay the story to him. No matter the reason, Mark's mom would be more than happy to let Callie stay there, she was like the mother the brunette never had. Callie was like a sister to Mark and a daughter to his mom, she was a part of the family.

Callie pushed herself from the couch (although she wanted to stay curled in a ball, wallowing all day) and shuffled into the kitchen, spotting Mark at the table on his phone, a cup of coffee in hand.

"Hey," Callie greeted, grabbing a mug and cream to make her own coffee.

"Hey, how ya feeling?" Mark asked, respectfully turning off his phone and turning his full attention to his best friend.

"Like shit," She laughed, humorously, hot tears welling into her eyes against her will. She blinked them back quickly and turned to sit down, "You're probably expecting an explanation."

"Yeah, but only if you're ready," Mark responded, sipping at his hot coffee, steam fogging up his glasses (the ones he only wore at home because he was too much of a badass at school).

"I don't think I am, but I should probably talk about it," Callie sighed, rubbing her temples in order to get rid of her post-crying headache.

"I got-," She choked back a cry at the still raw wound she was reopening, "I got home last night. From my date with Arizona. And-and my parents were waiting for me, I guess they put two and two together and figured out I was seeing Arizona. That I was " _a homosexual_ ," Callie quoted her father with anger, the words bitter in her mouth, "Carlos said he would take me to church to-to _pray_ the gay out of me. He said he wouldn't have someone like me living under his roof. So, I left."

Mark took her hand that she didn't realize was trembling until he steadied it.

"I'm not going to stay in a household where I'm not loved and supported. I don't need them in my life and I never have. Fuck them, fuck their money," Callie's entire body was shaking with anger at this point, she couldn't tell if she wanted to scream or cry. She was just filled with so much turmoil; it was overwhelming.

Mark was silent for a moment, he looked like he was thinking, "How did they figure it out?"

Callie sighed, "I don't know. I came home from a party with-," She blushed furiously, "with hickies and my dad saw and he knew I went to the party with a "friend". Then Arizona picked me up for our date and my dad answered the door before I could and saw the flowers that she got me. He guessed that we were romantic and-and I didn't deny it. There was no point."

"Why would Arizona bring you flowers if she knew you weren't out? If there was a risk of your parents seeing?" Mark asked, sternly, and Callie realized where he was going with his line of questioning.

"It wasn't Arizona's fault," Callie defended, "She didn't know my dad was gonna answer the door. I never told her to just wait in the car until I came outside. She got me flowers because we were going a _date,_ it was sweet and harmless...until it wasn't anymore."

Mark was at a loss for words at that, unable to comprehend the situation. He didn't have any words of advice or consolation, he just had... _anger_. Anger in him towards Callie's parents.

"No offense, but screw your parents," Mark finally said, coaxing a timid laugh from Callie, "you know you're welcome to stay here until things work themselves out."

The girl smiled, getting up to give her best friend a tight hug, "Thank you, Mark, for always supporting me."

Mark just simply hugged her back, knowing that it was all she needed at the moment. He would always be there for his best friend, not matter what.

Callie pulled away after a moment, "I'm gonna call Arizona, and tell her what happened, I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

It was well past 10 am, so Callie prayed Arizona would be awake by now and with her phone. She called her number and waited, the phone ringing a few times before a chipper voice answered, "Calliope!"

At the sound of her girlfriend's voice Callie couldn't help but break down in tears, trying and failing to stutter out an explanation as to _why_ and _how_ and _what_. Arizona's voice came back, distressed and worried, pleading with Callie to tell her what was wrong.

"Calliope, baby, what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Arizona continued to rapid fire questions at the brunette, only receiving cries back which caused her to panic even more, "Calliope, I'm coming over."

Callie froze at that, immediately shouting, "No!" No way could Arizona go to her house, her parents would skin her alive. She would be scared away from Callie for good, "No, don't go there."

"Callie, what's wrong? What happened?" Arizona sounded calmer, her breathing still heavy, from what Callie guessed was running down the stairs to get ready to leave. Her heart clenched at how much Arizona cared.

"My parents found out," Callie cried, too afraid to ask Arizona to come over and _hold_ her. To tell her everything would be okay, "And I-I left home."

She heard Arizona's breath leave her, silence filled the line, "Where are you?"

"Mark's...I can text you the address."

"Okay, I'll be there soon," more silence, "Calliope?"

"Yeah?"

"It's gonna be okay, I promise."

It was as if Arizona knew exactly what she was thinking and Callie started crying all over again.

* * *

Callie waited, nursing her cup of coffee, not caring that it was cold now. She didn't think she could stomach anything that morning, not even her favorite: Mark's pancakes. There was a constant knot in her gut, clenching tighter whenever Callie thought about the fight with her parents. She was anxious about what would happen. What they would do if they came and found her. Conversation camp? Mental hospital? Her head was spinning at the possibilities, at the unfair leverage her parents had over her.

Callie jumped at the sound of the doorbell ringing, putting her mug in the sink before walking to the door, opening it to find Arizona. Arizona with her pajamas still on and her hair a mess, not even wearing a bra.

She was immediately pulled into a hug, the scent of Arizona surrounding her like a warm blanket. And Callie finally felt _safe_. Safe in Arizona's strong arms. She buried herself into the blonde's neck, holding back tears as Arizona stroked her hair and whispered reassurances in her ear.

"Come on, Calliope, let's go sit down," Arizona said after a few minutes, leading Callie over to a nearby couch, pulling her right into her side, "Do you wanna talk about what happened?"

The brunette inhaled sharply, the thought of retelling what happened creating a sense of dread in her. But Arizona had a right to know, she _wanted_ her to know what happened. Callie needed her advice and guidance as she was someone who came out and has been out for years.

So, Callie relayed what happened, leaving in details that she forgoed while telling Mark. Like what exactly her father said, how her mother's disappointment made her feel, how she felt hopeless and disgusted with herself.

"Calliope, baby, please don't let your parents push their homophobia onto you. There's nothing, _nothing,_ wrong with feeling attracted to someone of the same sex. It's normal and it's okay, but some people just don't understand that."

Callie couldn't find it in her to reply, emotionally exhausted despite having woken up not long ago. She was _tired._

"What am I gonna do?"

"I don't know but we'll figure it out, together. I will always be here for you."

The brunette couldn't express her gratitude for Arizona if she tried, but she was sure the blonde knew that she was thankful; Callie didn't let go of her for hours.

* * *

The next week was hell for Callie. The inconvenience of having to go to her house and pick more of her things up was anxiety inducing and stressful. She had to be quick in order not to run into her parents and any of the house staff.

Callie continued to receive calls from her father, in fact they seemed to never end. He left voicemail after voicemail in her inbox some ranging from angry to upset to genuine concern. She wondered if he actually cared or was making a ploy to get her to return just to drag her to church. The brunette is surprised that her mother hasn't tried to contact her much, seeing as Callie thought she'd be the slightest bit more accepting. It seems that wasn't the case though.

Arizona, on the other hand... _God_. Callie was so lucky to have her. Every minute of the last few days Arizona was so supportive and caring. She was like a crutch to Callie, checking up on her after classes, bringing her favorite lunch: huevo harbaneros (although not as good as her family chef used to make it, but Callie still appreciated the effort), and keeping her mind off of her parents. Arizona was the most amazing girlfriend Callie could've asked for.

Sadly, though tonight, the blonde said she would be busy, but she didn't say doing what. Callie assumed she would be playing softball or getting her homework done. Perhaps going out with Teddy and April. Arizona deserved a break after being so great the past week, and Callie wasn't gonna stop her from enjoying said break.

Just then Callie's phone vibrated in her pocket, a text from Arizona.

 **Arizona: hey, i can stop by mark's tonight around 8 if you want? hope class is ok!**

 _ **Callie: Yeah, that would be great! I'll probably still be doing homework but the company would be nice. :)**_

 **Arizona: alright babe, see you then!**

 **Arizona: also get off ur phone and pay attention ;P**

Callie smiled brightly, stifling a chuckle before stowing her phone back into her pocket.

* * *

Arizona thought the first time that she walked up this pathway she was nervous, but, _fuck,_ she had no clue. She was stupid for doing this, so incredibly stupid, but she was good with parents. _Right_?

The blonde stopped at the intimidating door in front of her, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, willing her body to stop shaking with nerves.

She should turn around. She should leave. This wasn't a good idea. She was a badass, but she wasn't _this_ badass. Arizona was fucking terrified.

 _Just do it,_ she told herself, _before you psych yourself out._

Without allowing her brain time to think Arizona quickly rang the doorbell to Callie's house, tapping her foot while she waited for a response. A second later the lock on the door clicked (almost making Arizona dart back to her car) before it opened to reveal Carlos. Upon seeing the blonde, he frowned, making the motions to slam the door in Arizona's face, but she stopped it with her hand.

"Please, Mr. Torres, can I talk to you? I just need five minutes and then you can tell me to leave. Just five minutes, that's all I'm asking for," She pleaded, hoping he could see the desperation in her eyes.

Carlos's face didn't soften a bit, "I don't know you well enough to talk about her."

Arizona took a chance and began anyway, "Most people think I was named for the state, but it's not true. I was named for a battleship. The U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and he saved 19 men before he drowned. Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice," Carlos's face expressed confusion, but Arizona was doing well so far, so she kept going.

"I was raised to be a good man in a storm. Raised to love my country. To love my family. To protect the things I love...When my father - Colonel Daniel Robbins, the United States Marine Corp - heard that I was a lesbian, he said he had only one question. I was prepared for, "How fast can you get the hell out of my house?" But instead, it was, "Are you still who I raised you to be?"

Carlos seemed to be listening now.

"My father believed in country the way that you believe in God. And my father is not a man who bends, but he bent for me because I'm his _daughter_. _I'm a good man in a storm_. I love your daughter. And I protect the things that I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's _strong_ , and _caring_ , and _honorable_. She's who you _raised_ her to be" Arizona finished with a breath, hoping that look in Carlos's eyes was _something._ Something good.

"Thank you for listening to me Mr. Torres, I hope you'll think about what I said," With that Arizona turned around and walked down the long driveway, feeling like she accomplished what she set out to do. Like she made a difference. Helped someone see that who you love wasn't an issue. She just hopes he'll be able to accept Callie.

* * *

 _ **hi ya'll this was a hard subject to write but I hope I did okay. also pls let me know if u prefer frequent, short updates or less frequent, longer updates? thanks. im gonna start leaving songs that inspired me to write the chapter so take a listen. dynasty by MIIA for this chap :))**_

 _ **\- ky**_


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